


Release

by YummyFoods



Category: Naruto
Genre: "Is He God or Is He Man?" Hatake Kakashi, Author Is Sleep Deprived, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Blow Jobs, Drunk Sex, F/M, Fingerfucking, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Gratuitous Smut, I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, Kakashi is a god and that's why you're here, Long, Mission Fic, Misuse of Chakra, One-Sided Attraction, Or Is It?, Pervert Hatake Kakashi, Pirates, Secret Relationship, Smut, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Asshole, Undercover as a Couple, Uzumaki Naruto Being an Idiot, but maybe more?, long fic is long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-08-14 04:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 82,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16485908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YummyFoods/pseuds/YummyFoods
Summary: It was just supposed to be a release, a way to keep their minds on the mission. But now, as Haruno Sakura threaded her fingers through her lover's shaggy mane and bit down on her lip, she conceded that perhaps things had gotten out of hand. KakaSaku goodness, post series. Best of both worlds: plot and gratuitous smut.





	1. Out of Hand

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hi there, all. This idea popped into my head and I just couldn't make it go away, so I decided to write it down and post it. By the way, Sakura is somewhere around 20 in this fic.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing here within.

It was just supposed to be a release, a way to keep their minds on the mission and not anywhere else.

That was how it had started, anyways.

But now, as Haruno Sakura threaded her fingers through her lover's shaggy mane and bit down on her lip to suppress her moans because their team was sleeping in just the next room, as he whispered her name like a prayer and with each powerful thrust brought her just a little closer to God, she conceded that perhaps things had gotten out of hand.

Suddenly he seized her by the hips and drew her even closer, pistoning impossibly deeper and hitting the spot that never failed to set her aflame. Sakura's back arched as she hissed, "Yes,  _yes_ ," like a mantra, the pleasure pooling just behind her navel until she thought it would drive her mad.

It was wrong. Oh, it was so wrong, but the immorality of their deeds did nothing but fuel the fire between them. They both knew it, yet neither could bring themselves to stop—they were too lost in the passion they gave to one another to care.

The pink-haired vixen suddenly trembled in heady release and her lover covered her mewl with sloppy yet tender kisses that she leapt to return. She never wanted this to stop. She would never be sated.

His breath was shaky and Sakura could feel the firm muscles of his stomach quiver with the nearness of his own orgasm. They had done this enough times by now that she could tell when he was close, knew by the quickening and desperation of his thrusts that he was on the verge.

"Say it," he pleaded against her cheek, his voice a hoarse whisper that was nearly lost in the dark.

The night obscured the devilish grin on her lips as she whispered the words that never failed to push him over the edge. With the softest of groans, he filled her with his seed as he cradled her in his shaking arms.

"Come inside me,  _sensei_ …"


	2. Woman of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura has blossomed into a powerful kunoichi capable of handling any situation thrown at her. Kakashi is incapable of blooming. He's like one of those ornamental cacti a relative gives you and you don't know how it stays alive all these years. The cherry blossom and cactus go on a mission to the Land of Frost.

At twenty-two years of age, Haruno Sakura was a woman of the world. She could rip out an enemy nin's heart and then with those same two hands heal him to perfection. She could use her words to charm and disarm; she could use them to cleave and maim. Her body was a weapon just as much as it was a treasure to those around her.

She knew all this and used it to her fullest advantage. As a top-rate kunoichi of the Leaf, she was expected to. As a woman who never stopped until she had what she wanted, she liked to.

Time had changed many people, Sakura mused as she watched the newest batch of Academy students gush out the doors and homeward, Iruka-sensei hollering after some. Naruto had somehow managed to become the cunning, capable jounin nobody thought he could, though he was still a ways off from being ready to take the title of Hokage. Hinata had overcome her debilitating shyness and had asked the kyuubi vessel out on a date several years ago, and they had been inseparable ever since. It was cute and Sakura was happy for her teammate, but sometimes their lovey-dovey atmosphere also made her want to gag a little.

It was safe to say that the pink-haired medic was a far cry from the romantic fangirl of the past. If she put much thought into it, maybe she would come to the conclusion that the change had started all the way back in the chuunin exams when she had cut her hair, had chosen her comrades and the way of the ninja over vanity. Or maybe it was when she had watched Sasuke choose revenge and betrayal over her and Konoha. One way or another, Sakura had blossomed into a woman who held no illusions about love.

Love was not for ninja, as it was impractical.

Love was not for her, as it was not worth getting hurt over.

Though Ino would forever argue against her, this did not make Sakura a pessimistic person. On the contrary, it freed the green-eyed ninja from all the hassles that came with trying to find a soul mate. She had no qualms whatsoever with taking a man to bed because she knew she could leave first thing in the morning with a satisfied smile on her face. Her pig friend, however, would only sleep with a guy if he had serious potential to be her future husband, and was therefore constantly dissatisfied with her (lack of a) love live.

Not being tied down to anyone, Sakura was able to live life unfettered. She could take all the dangerous missions or ridiculous hours at the hospital she wanted, she could stay out all night with her friends, she could do as she damn well pleased without having anyone reprimand her or worry.

She couldn't have been happier.

Sakura glanced down at the mission scroll in her hands, her small smile growing. She had just left the Hokage's tower, where Tsunade-shishou had given her a mission with her usual teammate.

One Hatake Kakashi.

Once she and Naruto had both become jounin several years ago, Team Seven was officially disbanded and Kakashi had more or less drifted away from his pupils. Neither Naruto nor Sakura held it against him—they knew that it was just his way. Just as they had thrown themselves into their shinobi careers, so had the Copy Nin. About a year into this arrangement, however, Kakashi and Sakura had been partnered on a mission out of sheer luck, and ever since then they had almost exclusively worked together, excepting for when their specific skills were needed by other groups.

Really, there was no better team in all of Konohagakure. Where Kakashi was subtle and sneaky, Sakura could be a brash powerhouse that could level buildings with a well-placed punch. When Kakashi overdid himself as he often did, he had the best medic at his side to save him. And when it came time for interrogation, they could nearly rival Ibiki in results. Their many years of working together had given them an uncanny ability to predict each other, and this skill had saved their lives on more than one occasion.

She walked up the flight of rickety, rusty stairs to Kakashi's rundown apartment complex, a smile on her lips. It had been a couple weeks since their last mission and she was itching to get back in the field. As much as she loved the controlled calamity of the hospital, being cooped up inside all day was not exactly something she enjoyed when it was for weeks on end. She had grown too used to deadly ambushes and sleeping under the stars to be placated by the smell of antiseptic and waxed floors.

The door was open and she let herself in before taking off her sandals and placing them neatly besides Kakashi's. His small apartment hadn't changed in the entire time she'd known him: his bedroom was neat except for rumpled bedclothes, the kitchen sink had a teetering tower of dirty dishes that resembled a high-stakes game of Jenga, and the living room was barren but for one threadbare couch and a bookshelf of perverse literature. She shook her head at the dishes, but there was a smile on her face.

She could hear the patter of the shower, so she plucked a book off of his shelf and sat down on the couch to read it while she waited. It was only a couple minutes later that her ex-sensei emerged from the bathroom, steam trailing after him and hugging his frame in tendrils. He was clad in nothing save for a ragged towel around his hips and he tousled his hair dry with a smaller towel as he greeted her with his usual "Yo."

"Hey," she said distractedly, not even glancing up at him. The plot was picking up.

Kakashi made his way to his bedroom to get dressed and soon took a seat beside the kunoichi on the couch. He recognized the red cover of the book in her hands. "Don't waste your time. It's not written that well."

Sakura snorted and turned the page. "You deem anything other than Icha Icha as subpar. I'll decide whether this book is well-written or not on my own, thanks."

The Copy Nin's eyes fell upon the mission scroll peeking out from her hip pouch and he pulled it out.

"I tried to find something exciting but there wasn't anything. At least the pay is good though."

Kakashi unfurled the scroll. An A-rank mission to the Land of Frost. The small country was in the process of rebuilding after the Fourth Shinobi War and relief shipments of necessities like food, clothing, and building supplies were being stolen by a reasonably capable group of bandits. Sakura and Kakashi's objective was to travel with the next caravan and identify and neutralize the thieves.

Heaving a sigh, the silver haired nin slid the scroll back into Sakura's hip pouch, stood up, and stretched. His back popped grimly and he winced a bit as he felt something pinch in his spine. His spar with Tenzou yesterday had left him with a few more aches and pains than usual.

Sakura looked up from the book when she heard Kakashi's back about to shatter, a sour look on her face. "Kakashi, what have I told you about back injuries?" Her voice was sweet, but the slightly pulsing vein on her temple belied her simmering exasperation.

"That they should never be neglected unless I want to become paralyzed." Kakashi supplied dutifully. "But I didn't think that it was that bad, really."

The medic rolled her eyes and stood up, then motioned to the couch. "Lie down. Can't have you broken down and falling apart before the mission even starts."

Kakashi gave a long-suffering sigh and lay down on the couch. Sakura quickly got to work realigning what was out of place and soothing his overworked muscles with chakra and a light hand massage. The Copy Nin could feel himself turning into warm goo and he could almost swear he was melting and slowly sinking into the couch.

There were definite perks to having your own private medic, he thought with a smile.

After a while, with a chipper "All done," Sakura removed her magic hands and stood up. "I'm off to prepare for the mission," she announced. "I'll meet you at the gates with the caravan at 5 a.m. sharp."

Kakashi nodded and threw a hand up in farewell, silently vowing to arrive in the vicinity of seven.

 

* * *

 

Sakura had never and would never be a morning person. She hated how Ino always managed to wake up looking like some sort of princess who'd just received a kiss of life from a prince. On her best mornings, Sakura looked like she had a mild hangover. But on the worse mornings, like this one, she looked like the sordid lovechild of a sloth and hedgehog. She had the thousand yard stare and lethargy of the former, and the spiky hair and overall prickly attitude of the latter.

The sun wasn't up yet and the air had the slight chill of an early fall, but she forced herself out from the sanctuary of her blankets. The scent of freshly cooked rice wafted through from the kitchen and she dazedly prepared a quick breakfast of grilled salmon, egg, rice, and a light salad. Chewing her food languidly she reviewed the mission in her mind.

She and Kakashi would be escorting two wagons full of dry goods to a small town called Shizuku, which was in the process of rebuilding. The journey itself would take several days but was by no means grueling. The real danger was the nomadic bandits and occasional rogue nin that hovered in the secluded road's forests.

But with Kakashi's ninken also able to scout out any potential threats, there was close to no reason to be concerned about this mission. For all intents and purposes, they were getting paid extremely well to go on a long walk for four days.

Still, Sakura was nothing if not thorough. After showering she slipped on her standard red dress. Sleeveless and with a deep v-cut that revealed the black chest bindings, it was made of a very breathable silk that allowed her movement while hugging to her curves. The skirt was only to her mid-thigh, which meant that both of her kunai holsters were on display. She tied the top half of her hair into a ponytail, preventing it from getting in her face but allowing it to flow freely to the middle of her back. She was no longer the vain girl of her youth, but she had realized that she looked much better with longer locks now that her curves had filled out a bit more.

After double-checking that she had packed everything they needed the previous night, she slung the large backpack on, slipped on her black sandals and headed in the direction opposite the rendezvous point.

Across town, Kakashi lay in his warm bed surrounded by all of his summons, half of whom were piled on him. Who needed blankets when he had dogs? His alarm had of course gone off at 4:30, and he had of course thrown a kunai at it to turn it off and went back to sleep.

"Boss, aren't you supposed to meet up with Sakura?" Pakkun muttered somewhere around his armpit.

The Copy Nin slipped a hand out from under Bisuke to scratch his chin. The red display of the abused clock now read 4:47.

Unconcernedly he said, "She'll be here in 3...2...1…"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the doorknob to his apartment was turning. A smile flitted across his lips. She was just so predictable.

"Kakashi!" Sakura growled from the entrance. "You'd better not still be in bed."

All of the ninken's ears perked upon hearing her voice, and in the next moment he had lost his warm, furry blankets as they bounded to her excitedly. With no choice now other than to get out of the bed, he huffed under his breath, "Have some dignity."

Sakura fawned over all of the dogs, scratching their ears and giving them each a biscuit while the silver-haired man threw on some clothes. His morning routine was nowhere near as involved as Sakura's, and in just two minutes flat he emerged from his room fully-dressed and with a pack similar to his partner's on his back.

Her glower was enough to make a lesser man turn into a quivering pile of goo, but Kakashi had looked death in the eye too many times to stop now.

"Here," she said, thrusting a small cloth bundle to him as she scowled.

He unwrapped it to see a couple slices of lightly buttered toast with a fried egg between. And just because he wanted to see if her frown could get any deeper he sniffed them experimentally.

"These aren't by any chance poisoned, are they?" he asked conversationally.

Twirling to the side to avoid a punch to the ribs he took a bite and waved his summons out of the way so he could put on his sandals.

"See if I ever bring you breakfast again," she muttered as he wolfed down the meager meal.

"Don't say that. Your breakfasts are the best meals I eat."

"That's what worries me."

He shot her a displeased look, but he couldn't hold it when she gave him a teasing smile. His summons vanished, he locked the door behind them, and the two of them headed toward the gates where their charges were already waiting.

"Just on time," Sakura sighed in relief. They introduced themselves to the two genin who would be driving the horse-drawn wagons.

Without further ado, they set off. Kakashi took point while Sakura took the rear, keeping eyes on the road at all times. So long as they were in Fire Country they had nothing to worry about, but constant vigilance was necessary. The road was wide, and on either side was forest but there was a wide berth of grass between them that prevented a sneak attack.

Boredom quickly set in, and after an hour of trudging along at the horses' steady pace Sakura radioed to Kakashi by tapping the wireless earbud in her left ear.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding bored.

"I spy, with my little eye—" Kakashi gave a put-upon sigh. "—something green."

Without missing a beat he said, "That speck of moss on the right rear wheel hub of the carriage in front of you."

Sakura gave an irritated "tch." He could at least try to humor her.

When the silence between them stretched on for longer than she liked, she prompted, "Well? It's your turn."

"I can't. My mic is broken," he lied without missing a beat.

She rolled her eyes. "You're the worst teammate ever."

"Ouch. And here I thought I was your favorite."

"Favorite to strangle, maybe."

The first day passed by easily with the two of them chatting amongst themselves and the two genin, who were teenagers eligible to become chunin this year. Both were in absolute awe to be on the same mission as the Copy Nin and the Hokage's apprentice and had thousands of questions for them. Is it true that you punched Naruto so hard he made a crater? On an almost daily basis. Did you really defeat one of the Akatsuki? Well, with some help.

Sakura wondered if she had been that annoying at their age. She doubted it.

That night they stopped at a small town and checked in to a mom and pop inn, making sure to get two rooms from which they could see their wagons from through the windows.

"You two are sharing a room?" one of them, a sandy-haired boy named Souta asked.

"There's only one bed, y'know," his partner Haruto added.

"And pay another fifty ryo?" the kunoichi scoffed as she took the key from the owner. "We'll be keeping watch on the goods overnight in shifts anyways, but sharing a bed isn't much different from sleeping next to each other in sleeping bags."

The two genin looked somewhat unconvinced, but Sakura and Kakashi weren't concerned. They were aware that they were more spendthrift than most.

Next, they abused their power as senpai and had the teens go find them all some decent dinner and in the meantime made sure that the window of their room provided a good vantage point of the two wagons. The two genin looked thoroughly betrayed when Kakashi opened the door, took the takeout containers with a cheery "Thanks!" and then firmly shut it again. Like everyone else in Konoha they had been hoping to get a glimpse of the man behind the mask.

"You're so cruel," Sakura laughed.

Kakashi gave her a puzzled look.

"You didn't even pay them back."

"Ah. It's an old tradition amongst the shinobi of Konoha that the kohai always pay for their senpai when on a mission."

That was utter nonsense and she knew it, so she just shook her head as she opened the container of ankake soba while he pulled down his mask to enjoy his grilled saury. Sakura looked up from her dish and took in his face. To her knowledge, she was the only person he openly showed himself to. When they had first started partnering up on missions he had been as secretive as ever, but two years ago when he had received a nasty kick to the jaw he had had no choice but to pull down the mask and let her heal it.

His chin had been black and swollen with blood and his lip mangled, but in five minute's time she had finally become the first member of Team 7 to look upon Hatake Kakashi's face. And though he had been quick to pull the mask back up, at dinner that night he forwent his usual distract-and-devour ploy to simply tug down the black cloth and dig into the meal.

Sakura could easily see why any woman who had seen his face grew red and lost the ability to form sentences. He was devastatingly handsome. And that beauty mark just off the corner of his mouth was the perfect final touch to an already flawless face. He even had dimples when he smiled.

Why did some people get it all?

The man in question wiped his lips with a thumb. "Do I have soy sauce on me or something?"

"Yeah," Sakura lied, and smashed a napkin across his face.

"You're such a good friend," he said with a smile, even though the area around his mouth was now a bit red from Sakura's excessive force.

Sakura took first watch on the caravan while Kakashi slept, and then the two switched halfway through the night. The following day was spent traveling farther north and fielding more questions from the teens, who were tiring of Kakashi's vague answers and Sakura's increasingly clipped explanations.

That night they made camp in the thick forest near the Konoha-Waterfall border with a small campfire to keep them warm. It was September, and while the days were warm the nights were slowly but surely growing colder. Everyone was bundled into their sleeping bags except for Sakura, who took first watch over the wagons. She sat with her back against the trunk of a sturdy oak, knees drawn up to her chest. Kakashi's sleeping bag was close enough that his tufty silver hair brushed against her hip. Souta and Haruto were already asleep.

"I'm just saying, you're wrong about Nanami," Sakura was saying firmly. "She clearly represents the dangers of infatuation."

Kakashi was just as stubborn. "You couldn't be more incorrect. Jiraiya-sama took great pains to establish the fact that she symbolizes the tragic beauty of first love. In Chapter 17 he all but spells it out."

"That makes no sense. Regardless of how quickly Nanami fell in love with Michiyuki, he clearly felt nothing but physical attraction for her. Which makes his feelings for her nothing more than infatuation. And it was because of his infatuation that he was nearly killed by her three times in the book."

"If he only liked her for her tits then why did he weep upon her death?"

"Because he knew he'd never be able to motorboat them again," Sakura deadpanned, giving him a glare.

"Reason enough for any man to weep," concurred the silver-haired ninja with a grin. He reached up to give her a consoling pat on the knee. He knew that he'd beaten her this time.

Sakura mussed his hair affectionately. "Get some sleep. We'll be switching guard in four hours."

"Okay, boss."

"Don't call me that."

"Yes, master."

"I'll punch you."

"If that's what her majesty deigns appropriate."

Sakura gave an angry huff as she crossed her arms and began thinking about something other than the irritating man beside her, while the nuisance himself tried not to laugh at her. It was just too easy to rile her up.

The following morning Kakashi awoke the two genin by banging a kunai handle on a skillet. The two boys nearly leapt out of their sleeping bags and skin in alarm and Sakura struggled to maintain the same dull oh-did-I-wake-you surprise that her partner wore. She recalled him doing something similar to Team 7 back in their genin days as well. Some people never changed.

Haruto and Souta, having been slighted the previous night by the double insult of paying for dinner and robbed of the chance to see Sharingan Kakashi's face and now having endured the cacophonous wake up, were much more subdued as they traveled. Both Sakura and Kakashi took this as an improvement.

Everything was going off without a hitch until they hit a fork in the road not long after crossing into the Land of Frost. Just like its namesake, it was very cold and Sakura could see her breath like little clouds as she pulled her poncho tighter to her. Kakashi was completely unaffected by the cold and only wore his own brown poncho at his partner's behest. He was walking along ahead of the caravan and held up a hand to stop them. Both of the genin pulled up on the reins and Sakura walked over to him, but she didn't have to ask him to know what the problem was.

Shizuku, their destination village, was down the left fork that would take them through the flat tundra in the north-northwest. A bit further ahead was a half-frozen river they had to cross, but the bridge had been destroyed at some point and they would be unable to ford it.

"We could make a bridge," Sakura suggested.

"That'd be a waste of chakra," vetoed Kakashi. "That road has potholes so large the wagon would get stuck anyways. We'll have to take the other fork."

Souta had procured a map of the region and he and Haruto were looking at it intently with the hopes of producing an idea the two jounin would find suitable.

"This other fork takes us to the east for twenty kilometers, but then there's another road that would take us towards Shizuku," Haruto said helpfully.

"A day's detour." Kakashi gave a reluctant sigh but turned toward the other fork, and the two boys rushed to clamber back into the wagons and urge the horses forward once more.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Sakura asked him quietly.

"Mm? The blast marks on the cliffs beneath the bridge? It could have been destroyed in the war, but it could also have been our bandits. This road is going to take us far from civilization and through a forest with plenty of ideal places for an ambush. Be on guard."

"Yes, Kakashi-sama," Sakura said with a deep bow.

Kakashi gave her a delighted look. "You're finally adding the proper suffix to my name."

She just groaned and relayed the information to the boys who both turned a bit ashen at the prospect of a potential ambush and then took up her position in the back once more. For now the road cut through flat and boring plains with nothing but snow and sparse tufts of brown grass, but on the horizon she could see a tall line of pine trees that looked black from this distance.

They wouldn't reach the next town until tomorrow afternoon, which meant that they'd be roughing it once more in these below freezing temperatures, probably in the woods that screamed "ambush." The sky was a murky gray color and she could smell the crispness of soon-to-come snow. Sighing, she wrapped the poncho closer to her and trudged on. She hated the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? The point of this chapter and the next is to show what kind of person Sakura is in my story and the friendship between her and Kakashi.
> 
> My biggest peeve with the Naruto series is how underdeveloped Sakura's character remains and how cliche she is. In writing this story I aim to create a Sakura that's ready to kick the world in the balls.
> 
> Also, you may notice that I use the spelling "smoothe" instead of "smooth." This is intentional because "smooth" doesn't look as smoothe as it should be. My sole mission in life is to get the standard spelling changed to "smoothe."


	3. A Nice Ninja

When nightfall came they had no choice but to stop until morning. The blackness was so pervasive in the thick forest that only Kakashi could see clearly enough to continue travelling. Perhaps it was because they knew that they would likely be attacked within the trees, but the forest had a very ominous feel to it. Sakura could swear that she felt eyes on her, and the only sounds they could hear were the calls of unfamiliar animals.

"I heard that there are bears in Frost," Kakashi hummed as he stacked some bits of wood onto the fire the boys had just kindled. "Man-eating ones."

"Kakashi," Sakura growled as the two genin shared a troubled look with each other.

"No, really," he continued conversationally. "Fifteen years ago there was this incident where a bear was so massive that it couldn't find a place to hibernate, and then it seemed to get the idea to use a house instead. So it stalked the villagers in this little trading post town to the north of here. First it mauled and killed a woman, and then it got a taste for human meat."

" _Kakashi_ ," the kunoichi reiterated. The boys had turned white as sheets.

He seemed not to hear her. "They say that once a bear gets a taste of human flesh, that's all it will eat. So the following night it stole into three more homes and killed everyone inside them except for a young boy who was able to run away and get help. It ate seven people before it was killed—eight, if you count the fact that it devoured a pregnant woman—"

Sakura punched him in the arm hard enough that he nearly fell over. "That's enough stories, thank you." She turned to the boys, who were huddled together and looking into the trees as though they expected the bear to appear within the darkness. "Haruto, Souta. Even if Kakashi's stupid story is true, which it probably isn't, those people were civilians. You are both shinobi of Leaf. If you can't handle a little hungry bear then you should hand over your hitae-ate right now."

The two seemed to debate untying their forehead protectors and continued to peer frightfully into the darkness.

"Look what you did," Sakura chastised her partner, who was now leaned back against a tree and innocently reading his book. "This is why it's always just the two of us on missions."

"I thought that was because you just don't like sharing me with anyone else."

"No, I don't like inflicting your presence on anyone else."

Kakashi feigned a look of deep hurt and turned a page.

Sakura turned back to the boys, who were still huddled together on the other side of the modest fire. "We need something to eat and I was going to ask you two to go hunting for us, but I take it you're not exactly in the mood to go into the trees now, huh?"

They both nodded.

She sighed and bit down on her finger to draw blood. "Guess I'll give my summons something to do, then."

But before she could even crouch down to press her hand to the ground, there was a  _poof_  and the clearing was full of tail-wagging, bright eyed canines.

"Kakashi, it's really cold here," Pakkun complained.

"Yeah. That's Frost for you. I want you to find enough food for the four of us. Bring back enough for yourselves too and we can all eat together. Scout the area for any unusual activity as well. We're expecting to be ambushed in this forest by some bandits."

"You got it," Pakkun said, and all eight of his summons dispersed without a sound into the trees.

Sakura frowned. "You never let me use my summons."

"My dogs are better suited to this kind of work anyways."

She just pouted as she sat down beside him and threw a woolen blanket over their laps. She knew that he didn't like her choice of summons, but that wasn't her problem. She had just chosen the ones that would suit her needs the best.

The dogs returned before long with snow hares and one duck that Kakashi and Sakura cleaned and dressed before skewering on the spits the boys had whittled from slender branches. The smell of roasting meat filled their campsite just as the snow began to fall in delicate, powdery flakes.

All eight of the dogs were lying on top of or next to Sakura and Kakashi, with the majority of them piled on the kunoichi to their owner's very minor annoyance. Within the past few years she had gotten to know all of his dogs incredibly well, and though they were usually as aloof as their master, they had taken to her like jam to toast. Any time he summoned them and Sakura wasn't present they were disappointed, and they now downright refused their monthly bath and grooming unless the pink-haired girl was there to help.

Souta and Haruto looked on jealously as Sakura scritched ears and rubbed bellies. The Copy Nin's ninken were famous—what they wouldn't give to be able to say that they had gotten to play with them.

Sakura lost the warmth that Kakashi's dogs had given her the moment Kakashi took a rabbit off the spit and tossed it up in the air and all eight of them leapt up to catch it. Bisuke, who was large and deceptively sprite, caught it in his teeth with a smug grin. Again and again he did this until all of the dogs had their meal and they were left with four rabbits, one for each of them. Juicy, greasy, and unseasoned—everything that Sakura usually didn't care for—but it was delicious because it warmed her belly on this cold night and because the dogs had hunted it for her. Gratitude was the best seasoning, in her opinion.

She licked her fingers of the last juices and tossed the bones into the fire. The dogs, who had wolfed down their dinners ages ago, were huddled around the flames. Kakashi had also eaten his rabbit in record time, crying out, "Is that a bear?" and pointing vaguely away from him. The two boys, still on edge, had swirled around at breakneck speeds and in his haste Haruto had nearly flung his rabbit into the trees. The silver-haired nin used their five seconds of anxious search to drop down his mask and pick his hare clean. Sakura could only look on in morbid fascination.

"How do you not swallow any bones?" she asked as he wiped his lips and readjusted his mask.

Realizing they had been had, Souta and Haruto both gave Kakashi a seething look and resumed eating their meals in angry silence. Perhaps they could expect an ambush from the two boys tonight.

"Sometimes that happened back in the day. Fish was especially tough at first," the silver-haired ninja said.

"I wish I could have seen it," she muttered wistfully, and leaned against him for some added warmth.

It wasn't long until the two boys finished their meals and began nodding off. Sakura told them to get into their tent and rest.

"You're not going to wake us up with a frying pan, are you?" Haruto asked distrustfully.

"No, we won't," Sakura promised as she gave her partner a dangerous look. "Right, Kakashi?"

"Mm," he nodded, immersed in his book. "Scout's honor."

Nobody seemed assuaged by his flimsy promise as the two boys clambered into their small tent and sleeping bags within.

"Who's going to take first watch?" she asked him.

"I was thinking we'd give the dogs something to do. If we really are ambushed we'll both need to be as well-rested as possible."

That was reasonable. Eight sets of eyes and noses were much better than one, and so Sakura crawled into the little tent she would share with Kakashi and took off her thick poncho. She crawled into the insulated sleeping bag and waited patiently for him to join her. At first she had been angry to learn that he hadn't brought his own sleeping bag because he wouldn't have had room for the frying pan, but then relented. When one of them was on watch duty they only needed one sleeping bag at a time anyways, and in Frost where the nights were so bitingly cold it was common sense to share a sleeping bag for warmth.

After a bit he entered the tent on his knees and took off both his poncho and jounin vest before sliding into the sleeping bag with her. It was a tight squeeze, but it wasn't the first time they had done this, and Sakura rested her head against his chest as he put a hand on her waist.

The first time had been terribly awkward for the both of them. They had traveled to Iwa and Sakura had lost her provisions due to a sudden attack at a river, which meant that they had been forced to share a sleeping bag that night. Kakashi had offered to take watch and let her sleep but he was just as exhausted from the fight as she was and needed the rest too, so she had used her summons to keep watch as the two of them slept. They had been hyper-aware of each other, with both of them apologizing when her chest brushed against his. Sakura's apology came from knowing that he shied away from almost all physical contact with others, and Kakashi's came from knowing that this was a woman that could reduce his innards to goo with just a pinky.

Needless to say, neither of them had slept well that night.

Both of them had since lost count of the times they had had to share a sleeping bag or bed. It wasn't often that they ended up holding each other like this, but even that too had lost its awkwardness. Now all Sakura felt pressed against him was warm and safe. His familiar smell of sandalwood and alfalfa was comforting, and she was able to fall asleep swiftly knowing that her best friend and partner was at her side.

Sakura woke up to footfalls outside their tent, but then relaxed when she realized that it was just Haruto coming to rouse her and Kakashi. The boy unzipped the tent, looking bleary-eyed.

"Good morning, Kakashi-senpai, Sakura-senpai. Are you two sharing a sleeping bag?"

"Yes," Sakura answered. "Body heat. Also, Kakashi didn't bring his sleeping bag because he's an idiot."

"I  _chose_  not to bring my sleeping bag because I decided it would be best for everyone if I sacrificed my bedding so that we could eat with the frying pan."

"Which we haven't even used for food yet," Sakura added.

Kakashi just gave her a pout. She never went along with his stories.

Haruto's brow was furrowed in doubt. He apparently hadn't been cold enough to share a sleeping bag with Souta last night. "...Right," he said presently. "Well, Souta and I have loaded up our things into the caravans and we'll be waiting for you both."

"So industrious," Kakashi mused as the boy zipped the tent flap shut once more. He stretched his arms above his head and Sakura could not only hear but also feel his joints pop and creak in protest. "If only to be young again."

"Oh, you're not that old," she cajoled. "You're turning, what? Forty this year?"

The look he gave her was icier than the frosty air. "Thirty-six."

Sakura just laughed and got out of the sleeping bag.

Before long they were back on the road, pushing forward through the murky dawn and down the dirt road that wound through tall evergreens and skeleton-like oaks.

Around noon they stopped in the middle of the road to take a short break and light lunch of rations. They were still eating their instant noodles when a person on horseback came galloping into view from the direction they had been travelling. All four ninja looked up from their meals as the newcomer approached. They wore a thick fur cloak and the hood was pulled up, but the gloved hands holding the reins were decidedly slender and feminine.

"Are any of you doctors?"

The rider stopped before them and tossed back her hood. Younger even than Sakura with a short bob of brown curls and blue eyes that were clouded with trouble.

Sakura stood up. "I'm a doctor. What's the matter?"

The girl's face positively shone with relief. "My father—my family and I live in a cabin several kilometers from here. He's taken ill and with the bridge still out, I didn't think I'd make it to a village in time. Please come see him. He's feverish and delirious."

Kakashi gave her a brief look and the way his brow was knit told her his every thought. This could very likely be a ploy of the bandits' to split them up.

"Take me to him," Sakura said as she took the girl's hand and sat behind her.

"Hey!" Souta objected. "This could be a trap!"

"I'm a medical nin. I heal people first and foremost," the kunoichi told him. "Besides, these bandits would be idiots to try to take the Hokage's apprentice on."

So it was a bit of a brag, but if this girl really was one of the bandits it was good to put a bit of fear in her.

Kakashi gave her a nod. "We'll be continuing on ahead, then. Want Pakkun to come with you so you can find us easier?"

"It's one road, and I'm looking for two kids and a porn-reading scarecrow. I think I'll manage without help."

"Suit yourself," Kakashi said with a lazy wave, and with that the girl stirruped the horse and off they sped.

"Tell me more about your father's symptoms," she asked of the girl. "And what's your name?"

"I'm Mari," the brunette replied. "And my dad is Saburo. The fever started a couple days ago but he was still fine to go about his daily chores. But then he started hacking and coughing up blood and he collapsed two nights ago. He hasn't been able to get out of bed since and the fever is so high that he's seeing things. He thinks there are monsters in the woods that are coming to get us."

"And no one else has these same symptoms?"

"No, we're all fine. It's just him."

Several possible ailments came to mind, but she wouldn't be able to make any definitive diagnoses until she saw the patient. Sakura had some very remedial medicines and ingredients for poison antidotes in her bag, but whether she would be able to concoct a medicine for her father with them was hard to say.

They rode for what seemed like hours, though it was only about twenty minutes. Mari then diverged from the wide dirt road and took a much smaller, narrower path that more closely resembled an animal trail than anything else. The large horse had to slow to a walk to clop through the trees and branches that swept at Sakura's clothes.

"The cabin is just half a kilometer from here," Mari promised. "You have no idea how happy I am to have found you when I did. It would have been another hour to the next town and I didn't know if Dad would last that long."

Sakura put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'll do everything I can for him."

"Thank you," she sighed. You're really nice, for being a ninja."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it's just that ninja run around killing people, don't they? All cloak and dagger, poisons and stuff," Mari said conversationally.

"That may be what some of the elites specialize in, but the majority of us do nothing but serve the people," informed Sakura. "Genin are usually given missions like pulling weeds in gardens of the elderly and tending to graves no one visits. And then you have medical ninja like me who heal friend and foe indiscriminately."

"Indiscriminately? Even if they've done something awful?"

"Yes," was the pink-haired girl's firm reply.

Mari seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments, and then her gloved hands seized the reins and yanked back on them sharply.

It was the only warning Sakura had before the horse gave a protesting whinny and reared back up onto its hind legs, sending the kunoichi tumbling to the ground.

The girl then kicked the horse again and didn't spare Sakura a backwards glance. In a matter of moments she had her mount had vanished and the ninja swore as she picked herself up and examined her surroundings.

She couldn't sense anyone, but Sakura knew without a doubt that she wasn't alone. If Mari's father had truly been on his deathbed, there was no way she would desert his only chance of treatment without a word.

It had been a ruse, just as Kakashi had suspected.

Sakura withdrew a kunai from her hip pouch but could detect no presence other than her own in the cold. But with trees and brambles this thick, it would be easy for a ninja to conceal himself. She started walking the way she had come, figuring that she would be attacked at some point and might as well start making her way back to Kakashi and the boys sooner rather than later.

But no matter how far she walked, it seemed as though the path never ended. She plodded down the thin and winding animal trail, yet the farther she walked the less ground she seemed to have covered.

"I can't be lost…" she muttered. Especially after having turned down Kakashi's offer to take Pakkun with her, losing her location was the absolute last thing she wanted to admit to him.

Certainly they had only been traveling down this path for no more than two kilometers. Sakura had walked at least that much and yet there was no sign of the road.

Muttering under her breath, she focused her chakra and broke the genjutsu that had been masterfully cast on her. She was still in the exact same place the horse had thrown her off, only she had created a little circle of dirt from making countless circuits.

So the goal hadn't been to attack her, but just to lure her away from the others to make it easier to take the caravan's goods.

Sakura alighted to the top of the pine trees and wasted no time in shooting toward the road and where the caravan should still be. There was an opening in the trees like a scar that marked the main road, and if she just continued following it she would find them quickly.

She had no worries about Kakashi—bandits like this were nothing to him. But a bit of concern did wring her stomach at the thought of him trying to protect both caravans and the two genin boys while fighting off a band of criminals.

But she hadn't needed to worry at all. She leapt down from the trees and landed neatly before the two wagons to see both boys high-fiving and grinning before eight tied-up men sporting injuries ranging from bruises to burns and gashes. Kakashi gave his customary "Yo" and looked up from his book. He had been standing beside the row of losers.

"You were gone an awfully long time," he commented. "I thought about sending Pakkun after you."

"How long was I gone?"

"Three hours," Souta answered helpfully. "We thought for sure you'd been murdered."

"And how much of this were you two responsible for?" Sakura asked as she knelt down and healed a deep cut on one of the bandit's cheeks. He shrank back from her chakra in fear until he realized that she was in fact helping him.

"I got this big guy here with a really good punch!" Haruto said proudly as he bopped a rather rotund man on the head. The man in question was unconscious and therefore gave no protest.

Souta kicked at the ground sheepishly. "I sorta got hit on the head and fainted."

Sakura stopped healing the bandit's wound to inspect the boy, and the bound man let out a squawk of protest that she silenced with one icy glare. She then proceeded to lecture the boy on the importance of alertness at all times, whether in battle or not. He and Haruto both nodded dutifully until she had tired herself out.

Last was Kakashi, who was standing with all of his weight on his left leg and doing his best to look unfazed.

"You're injured," she stated flatly.

"No. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The fact that there's blood dripping down your pants leg was a bit of a hint. Now take off your pants."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at her in surprise. "In this cold?"

Honestly, sometimes she couldn't believe that she had managed to complete so many missions without maiming him. She had the patience of a saint and nobody recognized it.

In a couple strides she stood at his side and without any warning thrust her hand down the side of his black pants so that her fingers grazed a sticky and sore cut that she could see through the ripped material. The two innocent boys gasped at such a forward gesture, as did some of the conscious bandits.

Kakashi, meanwhile, had an amused twinkle in his eye. "I'm not one for public displays of affection, particularly ones as lewd as this."

She had half a mind to poke a finger into the wound but chose to begin healing it instead. "You  _wish_  I'd be lewd with you."

He had already returned to reading his book and gave only an inattentive hum in reply. With a roll of her eyes she continued healing him until she was certain that she hadn't even left a scar behind.

They loaded the bound bandits up into the covered wagons and were off again. This time the boys took seats in the backs of the wagons to make sure no one tried to make a run for it and the two jounin took the reins. Confident that all of the gang had been captured, they had next to no fears of a second ambush.

They made it to Shizuku in another two days where they dropped off the building materials and bandits for a trial. There was much celebration and the four of them got a small but merry meal as thanks. Then they headed back to Konoha, where they were rewarded with cash and the chance to say goodbye to their genin teammates.

"It's your turn to pick up a mission scroll," Kakashi reminded her at the bottom of the tower.

"Don't worry. Have a good couple days off."

"Mm. I'll be giving the dogs a bath tomorrow."

"I'll be there."

And he was gone in a whirlwind of leaves, probably off to water Mr. Ukki. Sakura stared at the spot he had been standing in for a few moments, wondering vaguely what he would be eating for dinner and what she would be making for herself tonight, and then headed home. More than anything she craved a hot shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading! What did you think? The point of this chapter and the last was to show what kind of person Sakura is in my story and the friendship between her and Kakashi.
> 
> My biggest peeve with the Naruto series is how underdeveloped Sakura's character remains and how cliche she is. In writing this story I aim to create a Sakura that's ready to kick the world in the balls.


	4. Off Limits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turn on your defog, because things are gonna get pretty steamy up in here. :3

* * *

 

Their next mission was much more…stimulating than Sakura had anticipated.

It was just a simple surveillance mission; frankly she and Kakashi had been surprised that they were given such an easy scroll. The client, a wife who had begun questioning her husband's fidelity, had more money than sense and had offered Konoha an exorbitant sum of money in exchange for the best possible ninjas. Though spying on civilians like this would usually be a chunin mission, Tsunade had given it to her most trusted team: Sakura and Kakashi. "Don't say I never do anything nice," she had grumbled as she slapped the mission scroll into her apprentice's open palm.

So the two shinobi had set off for the city and had arrived just before nightfall to talk with the client in detail about the situation. The client, a woman in her mid-thirties by the name of Akamine Kyoko, was a dead ringer for Sakura's estranged spinster aunt, down to the ample love handles and the hard stare that said, "to hell with your opinion." She was also sporting an impressive mole at the corner of her mouth, and not the kind that could be confused for a beauty mark. Upon seeing their client's less than breathtaking appearance, Sakura had expected the husband and target to be of equal countenance, but she had to swiftly bite down on her lip to stop from gasping upon seeing a photo of him.

The philandering husband was a freaking model. In his mid-twenties with a sure smile, perfect nose, and winsome hazel eyes, he was every woman's wet dream. Exactly how the hell their client had managed to ensnare him was a mystery. Chloroform? Living together in constant darkness?

Further talk revealed that Kyoko was the sole heiress of a fortune equivalent to a small nation's GDP. She had had more suitors than she could count, each one more in love with her vaults than with her. She had settled on her husband, Isao, because he had seemed the most honestly interested out of the lot, but two years had passed since their wedding and he was increasingly away from the estate on "business…"

The client seemed to have come to terms with the possibility of Isao's infidelity and spoke with an air of resignation. She would have been content not to investigate and make the matter official, but her husband was only eligible to inherit her fortune if he remained true to her.

Sakura felt a pang of sympathy for their client as they bowed once more and showed themselves out of the opulent hotel room they had met in. All this woman wanted was a reliable person who would cherish her more than her money. A part of the pink-haired kunoichi hoped that their reconnaissance would yield evidence of the husband's fidelity, though it seemed very unlikely at this point.

She and Kakashi checked into a much cheaper and seedier hotel a few blocks away and prepared to begin their mission. They had been walking all day, but the journey had been easy and though the opposite could be said of at least one of them on their days off, they were no slouches when there was a mission to be carried out.

"Kakashi, do you think this Isao guy's as big of a scumbag as he sounds?" Sakura asked as she changed out of her dusty travelling clothes and into something more suitable for their mission of surveillance at the target's favorite nightclub: a tight and skimpy black dress that left little to the imagination. Her back was turned to the silver-haired jounin, who was busy dressing in a black suit and gunmetal gray tie that offset his eye well.

"I've found that there is often a direct correlation between handsomeness and sleaziness," he answered and zipped up the back of his partner's dress for her.

Sakura shot him a teasing smirk in the mirror before applying a bit of lipstick and mascara. "This explains so much about you, then."

Without his mask on, the infamously stoic Sharingan Kakashi was infinitely easier to read. His lips downturned in a miffed frown. "Are you saying I'm ugly and pure or roguishly handsome and a bit of a prick?"

"Omit the 'roguish' and 'a bit' and you're close."

"I'll have you know I'm known in certain circles as 'God's Gift to Womankind,'" he informed her seriously.

"And I've told you to stop attending the book club at the women's psych ward."

They faded into amicable silence as they finished putting on the finishing touches of their attire. With her long pink locks in a simple updo that allowed a few wavy tendrils to hang down to frame her face, green eyes accentuated by mascara and a bit of red eyeshadow, she was certain to draw the attention of any man she wanted on the dance floor with a glance alone. The dress, strapless and not even covering half of her thighs, was certain to draw in any other male. Black stilettos and a small clutch that held some kunai and a bit of cash completed the ensemble.

"Lovely," Kakashi said with a smile as he took in her visage. "If the target doesn't come rushing at you we'll have conclusive evidence that he's batting for the other team."

Sakura straightened his tie and made a futile attempt at smoothing his wild silver hair, which like always seemed intent on making its own life decisions and sprang back up the moment his fingers left. "Then that means  _you_ can put on the dress tomorrow."

He pulled a disgusted face, perhaps imagining himself in said dress and heels. With a couple quick handseals he cast a simple genjutsu that would make his scar invisible to the average civilian, and with that the two of them were off to stalk their prey.

The club was only a twenty-minute walk away from their hotel in the boisterous entertainment district of the city. Neon lights promising all vices imaginable bombarded their eyes as girls in outfits even skimpier than Sakura's called out to passersby in an attempt to coax them into certain clubs or certain alleys. Jiraiya would have been quite at home here, Sakura thought to herself.

Inside the club it was dimly lit but for the dance floor's flashing strobe lights, which revealed snippets of a writhing mass of people in various stages of drunkenness and debauchery. The thumping bass of the dance beat was so loud Sakura had to holler to make herself heard, even though Kakashi with his superhuman hearing was right next to her.

"See you in an hour," she said, and slid through the crowds with a fluid ease that came naturally with the profession.

Kakashi headed to the bar and took an open seat at the bar between two other men. He ordered a vodka tonic and attempted to focus in on the conversations being had around him. Missions involving civilian targets were some of the easiest and most relaxing missions possible.

Unfortunately, the men on either side of him seemed to have no useful information and after finishing his drink the Copy Nin decided to move onto the dancefloor where he could see one shock of pink hair in the midst of the mob.

He slipped through the mess of people and to Sakura, who proceeded to flash him an alluring smile and began dancing with him just as provocatively as the people around them. His hands slid to her hips and they writhed together in time to the beat. The moves they were mimicking were filthy and the combined body heat of the crowd had a couple beads of sweat dripping down their faces, but they were nothing but business. It was all merely an act to blend in.

"Anything?" Kakashi whispered as he ground his hips against hers.

"Mm, he's up in the box behind me, 11 o'clock," she answered.

A glance in that direction and he could see Isao flanked by four fine women who were fawning over him and plying him with drinks as he grinned and laughed, revealing irritatingly white and straight teeth. He had the sort of perfection that invited a beating.

Keeping with the rhythm Sakura turned around and gyrated her ass against Kakashi's groin, and it was all her dance partner could do to bite his lip and think of hideous things like Orochimaru's face and the contents of Naruto's fridge. They were teammates and platonic in every sense, but at the end of the day he was only a man and Sakura was one incredibly attractive woman. He knew from the whispers among the male shinobi that his partner knew how to use her body to its fullest advantage on her nights off, and he had seen firsthand how she could use it as a weapon against her targets when the need arose.

But either she didn't fully grasp the extent of her powers to beguile or she put way too much faith in his ability to resist her allure. This was nothing short of torture. Despite steadfastly thinking of anything that could repulse him, he could feel himself beginning to harden and he started to wonder if she wasn't doing this on purpose.

Before the situation could arise further and she could turn him into a bloody pulp he spun her around by the hips so she was facing him again. He scanned her face for the patent twinkle of mischief in her green eyes, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She was staring at him as though they had been sitting at the bar and chatting about the weather, not as though she had been dry humping him with abandon.

"Want me to join the harem?" she asked.

"What?" For a brief second he had forgotten why they were at this stupid club.  _Blood, return to brain,_  he commanded. "No, we don't want you to get stuck in a situation where it may be you he's cheating on our client with. We'll continue shadowing him from a distance."

She nodded and her small hands slid away from his waist. "Let's get a drink, then."

Thankful for the chance to get off the dance floor and put some distance between her, he led her back to the bar and the two of them took seats at stools that provided a relatively unhindered view of Isao's table. Sakura sipped at her Shirley Temple and Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"What?" she demanded upon seeing his amusement.

"I just find it interesting that you can go from killer seductress one minute to innocent doll the next. A Shirley Temple, seriously?"

She gave him a scowl—he knew for a fact that she had a low alcohol tolerance and therefore always refrained from drinking when on a mission.

And then her scowl changed to a dark smirk, that ornery sparkle that only preluded trouble in her emerald eyes. Not taking her eyes off his for a second she plucked the maraschino cherry out of the glass and put it stem and all into her mouth. Despite his conscience Kakashi couldn't look away. He noted each minute movement of her cheeks and lips, and from that he knew precisely what she was doing. His throat went dry at the realization, but he was too rapt to reach for his drink.

In just a few seconds she opened her mouth and on her tongue sat the stem in a flawless bowtie before the cherry itself, whole and unblemished. Kakashi found himself itching to loosen his tie and undo a few buttons—how was it possible that it was suddenly hotter here than it had been on the dancefloor?

"Who's innocent?" she asked lowly, and with a sunny smile pressed the little tie to his forehead where it stuck like a cheap Christmas ornament.

To his credit it only took the Copy Nin a second to come back to himself and pluck the stem off his head. He twirled the little bow around between his fingers as he remembered one of the more prominent rumors about the girl beside him: no one was better with their mouth than Haruno Sakura.

He took a long drink of his second vodka tonic and forcibly reminded himself that, one—they were on a mission; and two—this was his partner and friend.  _Friend._

A surreptitious glance her way showed her unconcernedly sipping her ridiculously childish drink as she watched the target across the room. The mischief was gone and she was completely intent on the task at hand.

Did she know what she did to him? Did she have  _any idea_?

"He's on the move," Sakura said suddenly, and Kakashi realized belatedly that he had been staring less in the direction of the asset and more in the direction of Sakura's assets, which seemed about to burst out of her dress if she took in a full breath.

The two of them rose from their stools and left the club a few moments after Isao did. The man still had the four beautiful women from before all around him, either hand thrown around the hips of two of them while the remaining two were close by. Whatever he was whispering in their ears had them giggling insipidly, though Kakashi thought that the man could have said, "Kicking puppies is my favorite pastime" and they would just titter their adoration.

The target led the women several blocks away and to a ritzy hotel. Here Sakura and Kakashi used a camouflaging jutsu that allowed their bodies and clothes to take on the exact pattern of their surroundings so they were invisible to the untrained eye. Kakashi held back a bored sigh as the two of them walked down the carpeted hallways and after the mark. There was no challenge to a mission like this.

The two of them snuck into the room just before the door could close and stood together in a far corner of the spacious suite, which would provide a ringside view of any sordid events that may or may not take place. Sakura and Kakashi stood so closely to each other that their arms were touching, but they did nothing to rectify this. The potted plant on a table to Sakura's left and the dresser to Kakashi's right prevented them from putting any more distance between each other while remaining in the safety of the corner.

The two of them watched in absolute silence as all four women began to entertain Isao by slowly stripping as they made out with each other. The man sat at the foot of the bed spectating with a grin on his face, idly palming his growing erection as he did so. This little opening act went on for a spell until all of the women were bare and they converged on the ridiculously, slappably good-looking target, lavishing him with touches and kisses as they divested him of his clothing piece by piece.

Kakashi cast his partner a glance out of the corner of the Sharingan. If anything she saw was to her liking, she gave no outward sign. Sakura's face was blank and expressionless, breath calm and even. She could have been watching a documentary on the lives of crabs for all the interest she showed.

For some reason, this made him pleased.

Wisely, Kakashi chose not to speculate on precisely why this fact would cause him relief and instead on how the women had, through a heroic display of team effort, managed to strip Isao of everything but that stupidly flawless smile and his little soldier, which Kakashi was  _very_  pleased to see wasn't as impressive as another little soldier he knew on a personal basis.

The women then moved on to massages and caresses that led up to a rather impressive blow job. The Copy Nin had never pondered how a blowjob could be accomplished with four mouths, but now he could store this information away for the next time he needed an inappropriate ice-breaker.

Their target seemed to have had his fill of their mouths and decided to begin the main event. He took one of the women, a busty redhead with luscious, full lips and smoky brown eyes, and rubbed against her core with his woefully average cock before entering her from behind. Though they were all blissfully unaware of it, the two of them were looking squarely at the two ninja, and it was from this vantage point that they could see the woman's lips form an "o" as she gave an unfettered moan and arched her back into her lover.

Kakashi heard the softest intake of breath beside him and when he turned to see what was the matter with his teammate he too was momentarily plagued with a lack of oxygen.

As if the target had bewitched her, Sakura was transfixed as she watched him grab this woman by the hips and fuck her wantonly into the sheets as she shivered and moaned. A dusting of rosy blush tinted her cheeks and her fingers were unconsciously clenching the material of her dress, her mouth open slightly.

And for the briefest of seconds, Kakashi entertained the idea that it was  _him_  causing that awed look that he was quickly finding addicting. He wondered what it would take for her to make that face for him—could he accomplish it with a kiss? Or perhaps she would be harder to please. A few fingers deep inside her hot core as he suckled at her full breasts?

_Teammate. Friend._ _**Completely off-limits.** _

Sure, since Sakura had turned seventeen and finally filled out her figure Kakashi had on several occasions realized that his former student had turned into quite the catch, but it had always been once in a blue moon and at times when it was the only logical reaction that any straight man would have. Like the time Naruto had playfully shoved her into a creek when she was wearing nothing but his white undershirt (her usual clothes had been soiled in a scuffle with an enemy nin). She had emerged from the creek with every asset on display, and though Kakashi had respectfully averted his gaze and offered her his jounin vest to wear the moment he had realized, he had still caught quite the eyeful.

Another time it had been summer, and the two of them were staying in one of the cheapest hotels money could buy and sharing a twin-sized bed in a room without air conditioning. It had been so dreadfully hot that the two of them had stripped down to nothing but their underwear, and Kakashi wasn't proud to say that when he woke up before her in the morning he had perhaps spent a few seconds longer than necessary taking in her flawless figure, from the faint lines of lean muscle to her generous bosom hidden by a black sports bra, and down to the white undies with small red polka dots. He remembered finding them almost as endearing as the little birthmark he spotted just above her right butt cheek—

He felt a tug on his hand and was jerked out of his indecent reveries to see Sakura staring at him pointedly.  _Let's go,_  she mouthed, still looking a bit on the hot and bothered side.  _We've seen what we came for._

He licked his dry lips. Isao was now working on the second woman, an overly-enthusiastic blonde with a rather nasally voice. He gave a nod and Sakura created a simple genjutsu to make the door appear closed when they actually opened it and exited.

The two shinobi kept up their camouflage genjutsu until they had exited the hotel and gotten out of the range of its security cameras and then headed back to their much less ritzier hotel.

"What a douche," Sakura muttered. Her stormy look was usually the one she wore before she put her fist through someone's face.

Kakashi nodded. "Absolute scum."

"I'm not looking forward to telling the client."

"She already had her suspicions," the silver-haired man said dismissively. "Whatever we tell her tomorrow isn't going to come as a shock to her."

Sakura's anger dissipated into something softer and sadder. "Yeah, but I think she was hoping she was wrong."

He wasn't sure what to say to that, and so the two of them continued their walk in quiet.

"Dibs on first shower," Sakura called.

"Fine, but then I get my pick of the pillows."

His partner shot him a dark glare, but with a sigh acquiesced.

Back at the hotel the two of them showered and changed into their pajamas of ninja gear. Kakashi slept in his regular jounin garb minus the bulky vest, and Sakura slept in the black chest bindings and short spandex shorts she wore beneath her red dress.

Sakura focused on evening her breath and lowering her heart rate to make it appear that she was asleep until she felt Kakashi drift off beside her. Judging by his even breathing and relaxed posture, Kakashi was sound asleep beside her. Surely, as long as she was quiet, he would never know if she reached down into her lace panties and found release.

Hell, even if he woke up, she didn't really care. Ever since seeing their target have his way with those women earlier, Sakura had been completely unable to focus on anything except for the aching, slick warmth between her legs. It was driving her insane.

It wasn't like she  _wanted_  to finger herself when she was inches away from an unsuspecting Copy Nin. She just didn't want to walk all the way down the hall and to the communal bathroom where anybody could walk in on her.

But it  _was_  a little exhilarating, pleasuring herself right next to her old sensei.

Her fingers slid down beneath her moist panties, bumping against her swollen pearl and she relished the thrill it sent through her. Her pussy was drenched, and as she teased herself by rubbing her fingers along the slickened slit, she shuddered.

When she slipped one of her fingers into her hot, wanting passage she couldn't stop the smallest of sighs that left her lips.  _God,_  she had never craved sex more. If only she weren't on a mission, so she could grab a man and have her way with him.

Another finger pushed into her and she scrunched her eyes shut as she hit a particularly sweet spot. Sakura basked in the wonderful feeling of being filled, fucking herself languorously until the need built up and compounded itself so much that she was forced to thrust into herself deeper, harder, faster. A bead of sweat dripped down her neck and into the valley of her cleavage, her breath hitched as that glorious knot in her stomach tightened.

_So close, sooo close…_

Suddenly, a much larger and calloused hand was on her forearm, and her writhing fingers instantly froze. A pang of both shock and excitement rippled through her as her lust-ridden eyes widened and she looked towards the man in her bed.

Kakashi was on his side so that he faced her, clad in nothing but his jounin pants. His silver hair rose haphazardly from his head and there was a glint in his gaze that Sakura had never before witnessed. His face was expressionless but beautiful in the moonlight, his slight stubble making him look all the more like the rugged ninja he was.

"Kakashi, I—" Sakura began, trying to catch her breath. He had to be mad or upset or shocked; she was certain. Why else would his lips be set in such a thin line? Would this change their friendship? Did he think she was disgusting? Why hadn't he let go of her arm yet?

"Sakura," he said in a hoarse whisper, "you're doing it wrong."

"W-what?" Of all the things he could have said, he was critiquing her form?

A dark smirk upturned his alluring lips as his hand on her arm slid lower, and lower, towards her fingers that were still encased in her warmth.

"We can't have you distracted for the rest of the mission, can we?" he breathed, his exhalations fanning onto her cheek and ear in a way that made her shiver.


	5. Tidal Wave

Kakashi's wandering hand met the end of its trails and covered her own, his fingertips just brushing her womanhood and making her let out a soft groan of unmistakable want.

The pink-haired kunoichi still had some reservations, though. "Isn't this…wrong?" she said hesitantly.

His index finger rubbed up against her swollen nub and her back arched. "It's only as wrong as you want it to be."

Those eyes of his cut through the night and into her soul right then as he gave her the silent choice. This was risky. This was against the rules. Sakura's hand tightened reflexively when his moved on top of hers again.

But this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Her fingers left their respite and she hissed at the loss as she dragged her hand away and nodded her permission to Kakashi. Sakura could feel her stomach quiver in anticipation, in trepidation. This was completely uncharted territory they were headed into, and the nervous twitch of his fingers against her moist lips showed that he was thinking the same thing.

The moment teetered in the air, poised to unravel as swiftly as it had been woven.

But then Kakashi moved, surged like a tidal wave overtaking and plundering a shore. Merciless and all-encompassing, he cupped her womanhood as he began to suckle and lick on her neck. Sakura gasped in mixed delight and startle at the sudden onslaught as her ex-sensei's hair tickled her face and her blood began coursing through her full tilt.

He traced a long, calloused finger around her lips that were slicked and begging for more. She was still so very close to completion; the ache that filled her demanded that it be alleviated before she went mad.

"Please, Kakashi," she whispered, breath hitching as he nibbled on her neck and sent shivers through her body.

Her partner pulled away to hover over her, eyes burning with pleasure and mischief. He was still tracing her womanhood at a languid, infuriating pace, as though she wasn't about to combust if this kept going.

His voice was black silk. "Please what?"

"You know what I want," she groaned, fixing him with a delicate scowl that made her full, pursed lips so very, very tempting.

"Is that so?" he whispered. Rather than completing its tortuous circuit around Sakura's needy cunt, his finger swept down and over her clit before slipping just the slightest bit into her awaiting passage. His ex-student's hips shot up instinctively as she tried desperately to fill herself with his digit, but she sighed when he foiled her and began circling her womanhood again.

"Ahh," he said in mock realization, wearing the devil's smirk as he danced his finger over her pearl again and came so very close to penetrating her. The way she scrunched her eyes shut and bit down her lip sent a jolt straight to his aching cock. "Do you want me to fill you up? Fuck you until you come so hard you won't be able to move?"

Her breath caught in her throat at his words, and her eyes shot open to gaze at him with unquenchable lust. "Oh God, yes," she hissed.

Kakashi longed to breach her with something more substantial than his fingers; his cock was painfully hard and straining against his boxers. But he felt that that would be crossing some sort of unmarked line and knew that, at least for tonight, it wouldn't be wise.

So he settled for second best and thrust two of his fingers into her warm, dripping pussy. Sakura let out a mewl of relief as he  _finally_  sheathed his digits within her, and he groaned when he felt her tight, slick walls squeeze down on his fingers.

He fucked her slowly at first, learning exactly where her triggers were, what made her rise off the bed as she arched her back, what made her cry his name in praise, in need. She was beautiful, writhing in the moonlight as sweat dripped down her bindings and beaded on her taut stomach. A couple locks of her brilliant pink hair stuck to the side of her face but she was too lost in her pleasure to care, which Kakashi found endearing.

If five years ago someone had told him that he would one night find himself fingering this woman, he wouldn't have believed it. Hell, he could feel her walls squeezing his digits right now and he could hardly admit that this was reality. It was inappropriate on so many levels—she was his ex-student, his junior of fourteen whole years, his teammate, and they were currently on a mission. If discovered the only thing keeping Tsunade from stripping their ranks from them was the fact that they were two of the most prized shinobi in all of Konoha. If  _anyone_  found out about this it would spell grave consequences for the two of them.

And yet Kakashi couldn't bring himself to care about that right now. The only thing he knew was that she looked so breathtaking writhing beneath him, and the sounds she was making as he hit those sweet spots were as sweet as the finest wine. He couldn't stop until he was sated.

The Copy Nin pulled her closer to him, so that her wrapped torso met his nude one. Even through her bindings he could feel the sharpness of her nipples, and he found himself biting his lip and suppressing a moan at the idea of sucking on those luscious pebbles. She gasped as her sensitive peaks rubbed up against his muscled chest.

It was then that he added a third finger, and Sakura let out a moan as she was stretched to her limits to accommodate him. He fucked her relentlessly, sinking in all the way to his knuckles only to crook his fingers as he pulled out and then penetrate her anew with added vigor, and she moved her hips with him to intensify the strength of his ministrations. When he began rubbing her clit with his thumb as he continued to fingerfuck her, she cried out his name loudly and he felt her walls began to quiver.

"Ah, Kakashi! Yes, yes,  _yes_ ," she mewled, tucking her head into his chest. Desperate for an outlet as her body coursed with electricity and ecstasy almost to the point of combustion, she took one of his nipples in her mouth and swirled it around with her tongue viciously, making Kakashi gasp at the unexpected shock of pleasure.

Sakura was so very excruciatingly close to her release that her entire body trembled in anticipation and she redoubled her efforts, rocking her hips into Kakashi's godly fingers with twice as much force, letting out whimpers and moans with each thrust. And when he rammed his fingers in once more and hit that glorious bundle of nerves deep within her as he pressed his thumb down on her clit, Sakura's world burst into an ocean of white rapture. It was as if each and every one of her nerves had been short-circuited in that instant—she could feel nothing but the tremendous force of bliss rock her whole body.

A few moments later the kunoichi came down from her high, feeling limp and exhausted and  _so fucking good,_  and she locked eyes with Kakashi and kissed him thankfully, voraciously. Their tongues met and clashed in a brilliant dance as he retracted his hands from her warmth and she sighed into the hungry kiss at the loss. She could feel his strikingly erect cock through his pants and against her crotch, could feel the muscles of his legs clench as he rocked against her infinitesimally in an attempt to alleviate the pressure.

She broke their kiss, panting like him, and said with a smile, "It's your turn now, Kakashi-sensei."

She felt his dick twitch at her words even as she saw the hesitation on his brow. "Sakura, I don't know if—"

Sakura pressed a finger to his lips, green eyes aglow with lust. "We can't have you distracted for the rest of the mission, can we?" she breathed.

As she slinked down his body, leaving wet kisses and dirty promises in her wake, Kakashi thought that he would be distracted for the entirety of the mission no matter what. There was no way he'd be able to stop thinking about how his former student had cried out his name in such a beautiful, broken voice as he brought her to climax.

She slid off his pants easily and wasted no time with his boxers either. It was a relief to have the constricting cotton gone, and he propped himself up on his elbows to see what his teammate's next move would be.

A smirk on her lips, she dragged the tip of her index finger from his perineum, across his balls, and straight up the sensitive vein that ran up his thick cock and to its weeping head. Kakashi hissed in bliss and torture—he didn't know how much teasing he could tolerate tonight.

"Impatient, sensei?" she whispered. Kakashi had never before had strong feelings on the matter, but he was suddenly convinced that licking one's lips in such a sinful manner ought to be illegal.

She took him in one of her small, nimble hands and marveled at the thick, impossibly hard yet silky soft wonder before her. She couldn't wait to find out what he tasted like. But that would have to be another night. She was only returning the kindness he had given her.

As her fingers tightened around him and she began to pump up and down in an unhurried pace Kakashi bit down on his lip to suppress a groan and Sakura's smile grew. She had known him for an entire decade, yet tonight she was learning an entirely new side of him that made her toes curl.

When she suddenly picked up the pace he gave a sharp gasp and his hands fisted the sheets. Her name left his lips in something that was both pleading and praising, and his hips were rising up to match the rhythm her hand set. Pre-cum glistened and leaked from the head and onto her fingers, slickening them and creating a positively delicious sound with each pump that had Sakura imagining what sound they could make when his cock was penetrating her.

He had just made her cum and yet she was wet and ready all over again.

"God," he swore in a broken groan, "don't stop."

Sakura grinned and, though she had told herself at first that tonight wasn't the right time, she threw her reservations aside and leant down to lick the bead of sweet, salty cum from the tip of his cock.

"Delicious," she breathed, and this time swirled her warm, devious tongue around his head even as she continued pumping his shaft.

The silver-haired ninja gave a harsh gasp and his hips bucked towards her warm, waiting mouth, begging her to take more of him so every inch of him could feel the blissful sanctuary of her mouth.

Who would she be to deny him?

In the blink of an eye she removed her hand from his cock in favor of cupping his firm balls and, never looking away from his positively enraptured expression she dragged her tongue in a torturous path from the very tip of his cock to the base and back up but denying him what he wanted most. Again and again she made the journey from top to bottom until he was begging her for more, the sheets a tangled mess beneath his fists as sweat dripped down his brow.

Perhaps she had teased him long enough. This time when she brought her tongue to the top she abruptly took him in his entirety into her mouth. His head brushed the back of her throat and there was a time when she would have gagged, but she knew what she was doing.

Kakashi gave a broken shout at the suddenness—he had gone from the sweet purgatory of the cool trail her tongue left in its wake one moment to his whole cock surrounded by warm, velvety walls that threatened to undo him entirely. He thrust deeper down her throat instinctively and she took it like a champ, letting out a soft moan that reverberated through his cock and through his entire body which was afire in a blaze of tingling and maddening need.

Sakura wasted no time in bobbing up and down his length at a ruthless pace, and desperate for something to hold onto lest he be swept away on this tide of pleasure he lost his fingers in her hair.

How was it possible for such a sweet girl to be so downright evil?

The ecstasy was building and Kakashi could feel the familiar pressure building in his core and in his balls as they tightened.

"Harder," he pled, and like a good little girl she obeyed, one hand wrapped firmly around his balls while another gripped his hip for support.

He could only withstand a couple seconds of this before his restraints failed him, and stars burst behind his eyes as he shot his seed deep down her throat even as she continued to fuck him with her pretty little mouth.

Both spent and panting, Kakashi's fingers slid out of her thoroughly mussed pink locks as his cock slipped out of her mouth with a soft  _pop_  that he was sure to think about for many, many nights to come. That onerous twinkle he had come to associate with her mischief had taken on an entirely new meaning tonight as she gave him a smirk that managed to be both proud and shy at the same time.

The rumours were true, Kakashi thought numbly as she lay down beside him once more and closed her eyes in bliss. She really did have the best mouth in all of Konoha.

"Kakashi," she whispered.

"Mm?" He wasn't sure he had regained the ability to form sentences yet.

She lay on her back beside him, staring up at the ceiling. "Let's not make this anything weird, okay? We're still friends and teammates; we're just...eliminating distractions. Okay? You're my closest friend and I don't want to ruin what we have."

Kakashi nodded and patted her hand on the bed between them before tugging up his boxers and sweatpants. "We're on the same page."

The smile that broke across her lips was relieved. "Good night, Kakashi."

"Good night, Sakura."

* * *

The following morning Kakashi woke up just as the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, though their window was west-facing and didn't provide any additional light. He turned onto his side to see his partner sleeping inches from him, facing him with one hand cushioning a cheek while the other was a mere hair's breadth away from his midriff. Her mouth was open slightly and there was just the tiniest bit of drool at the corner of her mouth. He found himself smiling at the unguarded sight. Haruno Sakura, apprentice to the Hokage and likely one of the next Sannin, was not known for her vulnerable side.

Kakashi took special pleasure in knowing that he was likely one of the very few people that she felt so relaxed around. He knew for a fact that when they were on a mission with others—even Naruto—the kunoichi usually slept in the same cadaver-like position that Kakashi did. She was a fortress through and through, able to deflect nearly any enemy attack. She had also hardened her heart in recent years, and though Kakashi couldn't say with certainty he had a strong feeling that it had been a gradual process that was finalized when Sasuke returned to Konoha and flatly told her he had never and would never have any interest in her.

She had worn her heart on her sleeve for the majority of her life only to have it torn away by the one person she had entrusted it to. But she was smart—just like in battle she wouldn't allow herself to be tripped up by the same attack twice.

A small twinge of sympathy went through him. It must have been painful. Sasuke had cast her away like an old and boring magazine, Naruto was too busy with preparations to become the next Hokage and too smitten with the Hyuga heir to make time for her. Her shishou was an exceptionally swamped Hokage who had never been known for her maternalistic qualities. Her so-called best friend Ino was deep in ANBU and interrogation, which meant that when their schedules did align they had little they could discuss and quickly they were squabbling like schoolyard children over whose hair or breasts were nicest and who was the better kunoichi.

Her old sensei was probably the one person who had been there for her the most consistently over the years, and wasn't that just pitiful? To this day he regretted not seeing the well of potential within the admittedly vain girl, glossing over her to focus more on the last Uchiha and the jinchuuriki. He had done her a vast disservice that thankfully Tsunade had corrected, and while now they could joke about how he had abandoned her he couldn't help but wonder if it still stung her a little.

They had drifted apart nearly five years ago when both she and Naruto became jounin and Team Seven was officially no more. Kakashi had gone back to what he had been doing before he took them under his wing, taking on the most dangerous missions possible and reading porn, while the other two began getting their feet wet in the official world of adult ninjahood.

It wasn't until three years ago that he and Sakura had coincidentally been paired on a mission to Kiri to acquire a certain stolen artifact that he had fully gained an appreciation for her skill set and how far she had come in a short nine years. His aloofness tempered her at times brash rage, and with his speed and stealth and her strength and healing abilities together there were exceedingly few mission objectives they couldn't complete. There was also the fact that he was a ninjutsu type while she was genjutsu with high taijutsu specs, making them able to handle most opponents in fights as well.

But it wasn't just their physical aspects that made them a good team— personality-wise they just  _got_  each other. Their friends often remarked that it made absolutely no sense how such a bright and sweet young girl could get along so well with an old, jaded pervert. But they understood one another on a level that came only when you had spent years and years with someone, had lived and breathed the same air, had fought and nearly died for each other.

However, he couldn't say that he shared the same bond with the blond jinchuriki, nor could he for Sasuke. Naruto, frankly, was just too stupid to tolerate for long periods of time. Sasuke was too dark. But Sakura… She could sometimes finish his sentences they were so in tune. She got his stupid humor, and she knew his strategies so well that in the heat of battle he could switch tactics and she could roll right along with him as though that had been the plan all along.

As he watched her give a soft sigh in her sleep and felt her warm breath against his arm Kakashi thought back to the night before and exactly what that precious little mouth of hers had been doing to him, and what he had been doing to her.

At the time, it had felt like the best decision he had ever made. Ibiki could have brandished thumb screws at him and he still wouldn't have been able to articulate exactly  _why_  he had thought it would be a good idea to debauch his ex-student and current partner, and he supposed he had the sudden lack of blood to the brain to thank for that.

What had driven him to take her hand when she was already nearly done pleasuring herself? He could have just continued to feign sleep until she had found her release and she would never have been the wiser. Though it was the first time she had been so brazen, Kakashi was no stranger to Sakura's alluring appearance and had, until last night, felt nothing but professional deference for her. Was it the way she had ground so primally against him on the dancefloor? They had done similarly on several other missions and he had always managed to keep his cool. Had it been watching a live porno unfold literally three feet from them? Even this Kakashi doubted—he spent the same amount of time reading erotica every day as a cat did sleeping, after all.

All he knew for sure was that he had never heard a sound more beautiful than Haruno Sakura's bit-back sigh of pleasure as she reached under the blankets to touch herself. He had lain in bed mere inches from her, each slight rustle of the blankets with the steady movement of her hand causing him to feel warmer and warmer to an almost unbearable degree. His cock grew harder with each soft inhale she took until he thought he would go mad with need.

He had reached out to her because he was horny, plain and simple. And she had responded in kind because she was horny.

The lesser known and largely comatose rule-abiding part of Kakashi snarkily reminded him of Rule 17 of the Shinobi Code.

_A shinobi must refrain from physical relations with a teammate._

It was sort of like peeing in the shower. Everyone vehemently denies it, but at least fifty percent of them are shameless liars. Hell, the majority of married ninjas in Konoha had started out as teammates.

It was the first time Kakashi had ever become involved with a partner, and as he watched said partner and the way her bosom rose and fell with each relaxed breath he felt a trickle of uneasiness run down his spine like rainwater. Had it been a mistake? Would she wake up this morning and deliver him back to Konoha with one almighty punch?

But as he recalled her final words before she drifted off the night before, she had seemed at ease with everything. On the contrary, she had seemed almost worried that  _he_  would cause problems. Which was absurd because the Copy Nin had so far managed to successfully evade any meaningful connections other than friendship, and he had no intention of breaking a perfect streak.

And then his mind followed up with Rule 18.

_A shinobi must never violate the sacred bond between teacher and student._

Now it was _this_  rule that was the true problem. It was one of the first rules ever made, and it had been created because adults spending long hours and years training impressionable children could sometimes do unspeakable things. Kakashi felt that it was a sensible law that should be upheld. However, this law didn't just apply to teachers and their current students; it continued to apply to them for life. So even though Sakura hadn't been Kakashi's pupil in a decade, what they had done last night was still taboo.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit concerned about the ramifications of being caught. But they were now partners, equal in everything but amount of experience. She hadn't called him sensei since she had become a jounin several years ago, and he had only actually been her teacher for two short years before Tsunade took her under her wing. There was also the fact that both he and she were two of the most highly-respected ninja in all of Konoha. Even if their dalliance was discovered, surely it wouldn't be the end of either of them.

He hoped.

"Sakura, wake up."

At his words her eyes opened immediately, wide and alert. Upon seeing his relaxed pose beside her her gaze softened and a lazy smile crossed her lips as she pushed her mussed pink locks out of her face.

"Morning," she greeted.

"Almost midday," he corrected.

Her lackadaisical smile died and was resurrected as a furious scowl. "We're supposed to meet the client at noon across town."

"Mm."

"Kakashi!" she snarled, and with a show of speed only a ninja of her calibre possessed she placed her palms on his chest and shoved.

Of course, she wasn't the only one capable of superhuman speed, and Kakashi's hands wrapped easily around her wrists, pulling her with him so that they tumbled onto the floor in a jumble of arms and legs. Sakura was fully on top of him, and with each seething breath she took her breasts pressed further against his chest. And try as he might to ignore it, he was painfully aware that only a couple thin layers of cloth were separating them from being where they were the night before all over again.

There was an unbridled irritation blazing in her grassy green gaze, but it wasn't the first time he had been exposed to Sakura's death glare. He just gave her a cool, unreadable look, and if the smallest of smiles was on his lips neither were any the wiser.

"You're an absolute bastard," she said after a few moments, "and if we had more time I'd beat you to a pulp."

"If we had more time you wouldn't have a reason to beat me," he reminded her.

She muttered darkly, "I'm sure I could find another reason." And there was that familiar twinkle that signaled trouble as a smirk that could be called nothing other than devious twisted her full lips. In a slow and sinuous motion she ground her hips against his, and with the way she was nestled so perfectly between his spread legs the contact set fire to his core almost instantly. He caught the gasp of surprise but by the quirk of her smile he knew that she had felt the hitch in his breath. She ground against him once more and just as his traitorous hands began to reach for her waist to drag her to him again she rose to her feet and stood over him, looking smug when her eyes fell upon the swell below his waist.

And it was over as soon as it had started—one moment she was staring down at him like a cat who had just caught a mouse and the next she was in the bathroom and he could hear the pounding of hot water on porcelain as she took a quick shower.

Kakashi shook his head as if that could rid him of the fog of confusion clouding his mind. He had the distinct impression that with last night's escapades he had unwittingly released a particularly unpredictable and dangerous beast from its cage. If he wasn't careful, he would become its prey.

The thing was, Kakashi wasn't sure if he would mind.

* * *

Through no small miracle they met with the client on time and divulged what they had seen. Mrs. Akamine was understandably distraught, and for a second Kakashi wondered if in the near future they would be receiving an assassination mission.

All that was left now was to return home to Konoha, and so the two set off down the wide dirt road that would take them back by nightfall if they were lucky.

Unfortunately, luck was not on their side that day, as dark black storm clouds began rolling in just as they had stopped to purchase a hot meal from a roadside restaurant, heralded by ominous thunder. A chill breeze gusted through the air and Sakura tucked her locks behind her ears lest she get a mouthful of pink hair with her udon.

"Might be best to find somewhere to stay until this storm blows over," Kakashi hummed, not looking up from his book. In typical fashion he had finished his meal of hot noodles in less than five seconds and was now waiting on her.

"Afraid of a little thunder and lightning?" she teased.

He gave a delicate cough. "In my old age, I'm liable to get pneumonia if I stand in the rain for too long."

Sakura gave him an exasperated shake of her head, but there was a smile on her lips as she tipped the bowl up to finish the broth.

Kakashi had nothing against the cold and damp. The fact of the matter was that he simply didn't care for lightning. Perhaps it was because he had once had the audacity to slice a lightning bolt in half and in doing so had seriously pissed off some lightning god, or perhaps it was because he was just so rotten that his deeds demanded divine retribution, but he had been nearly struck by lightning a total of four times in his life, which was four times too many if he were perfectly honest.

"You want a hotel? Or do you want to rough it?" his partner asked.

The wind howled again, and the handful of other customers sitting on benches eating around them gasped as they clutched at their things. The canvas awning over them flapped and buckled in protest.

The Copy Nin thought it over. On one hand, camping outside meant a higher chance of finding out if his hair could stand any higher and if Sakura was proficient in healing electrocution. On the other, Tsunade-sama wasn't likely to write off their hotel expenses simply because Kakashi was cursed and he was nothing if not miserly.

With a sigh and a soft  _clap_  he closed  _Icha Icha Pandemonium_  and stowed it away in a hip pouch. "There's a forest a few kilometers from here where we'll be able to set up camp."

Sakura had known he would say that, and she just nodded and rose to her feet. The two set off again, and if Kakashi seemed to be walking much faster than usual she didn't mention it. He had never directly said it, but she had long had the impression that he wasn't fond of storms.

She turned her gaze to the heavens to see a massive sheet of black clouds like a wall barreling east and directly toward them. The wind blew so powerfully against her that she was half-tempted to use a bit of chakra to steady her feet. The cloying smell of moist earth filled her nose, and in the next moment fat, cold raindrops were bombarding them relentlessly. A peal of lightning slashed through the blackened sky and was followed by a tremendous roar of thunder that made Sakura jump.

The two of them dashed down the road and cut into a thick forest to the east. The tall deciduous trees meant that they would likely be safe from lightning strikes so long as they kept away from the tallest of trees and from any clearings. As if the skies had decided to open up and dump all the rain they had been storing at once, not even the thick cover of leaves could keep them from getting wet.

Hurriedly they created a shelter, Sakura felling a few trees to lean against a massive oak to create a lean-to of sorts, with Kakashi gathering leafy branches to place over the logs to keep as much rain as possible from pouring in.

By the time they were finished fifteen minutes later and crammed inside the small bivouac they were both chilled to the bone with the icy fall rain and though it was only mid-afternoon it was dark as dusk. Kakashi, stalwart as ever, sat with his back against the large oak tree with his arms crossed while Sakura shivered and trembled beside him, and they were so close that he could feel her every tremor against his arm.

"Body heat," he said simply, and the two of them took off their wet clothes until they were down only to their underwear. So narrow and cramped was their shelter that they didn't have room to lie down and the kunoichi instead nestled herself against his chest by straddling his hips so that they had as much body contact as possible. Kakashi's arms wrapped around her like vines, pulling her so close that she could feel his heartbeat in her own chest. A little fast.

Of course, this wasn't the first time they had ever been forced to do something of this nature. On a particularly dangerous mission to Iwa about a year ago Kakashi had nearly drowned himself in a frozen lake thanks to a clever enemy nin's ninjutsu, and it had only been thanks to Sakura's healing powers and body warmth that he had opened his eyes a couple hours later in her arms completely nude. He'd had the cheek to say, "If I'd have known I would wake up like this, I would have drowned myself months ago."

Normally, Sakura would have clambered on top of him and felt nothing other than his warmth. But after last night, she was beginning to feel an entirely different heat flickering within her, ignited by his touch and the way his dark eye slyly took in her breasts pressing against his chest.

The night before had been one of the best nights of Sakura's life. Never in a million years would she have dreamed that her ex-sensei and teammate would be so receptive to her, but she was immensely glad she had taken that risk. She kept her eyes on his firm, broad pectorals, taking in what few scars he had here and there. A puncture wound over his heart that had turned into a barely noticeable pink splotch, three jagged lines that trailed down from his left chest and just to the beginning of his abs that looked suspiciously like claw marks.

"What are you doing?"

Kakashi's calm and slightly amused voice yanked her out of her thoughts and belatedly she realized that she was running a finger down those three scar marks. She pulled her hand away as if his flesh had scalded her and she smiled up at him.

"Clinical curiosity," she lied easily.

The slight blush dusting her cheeks had given her away, and his gaze was completely indecipherable as he reached up to touch her face. There was nothing clinical or professional about the way his fingers ghosted down her cheek and to her lips and lingered there. What Sakura would have given to know what was going through his mind. Did he have doubts? Was he taking this as lightly as she was?

Wanting to see his reaction, Sakura drew his thumb into her mouth and sucked on it as she swirled her tongue around it. Kakashi gave a sharp gasp, his eye suddenly wide and alive with a new passion.

"Sakura," he muttered in rebuke, and then thrust his digit deeper inside her mouth.

Greedily she lapped and sucked on it as though it were the tastiest dessert, and when she began rocking her hips back and forth against his manhood in time with her movements he thought he would go mad. The heat she had kindled within him was now a blaze spreading from his core and outward, warming and awakening him and making him crave her in the worst way.

But he had a feeling that this was the sort of fire that if left unchecked could destroy. He managed to say calmly, "I'm not sure this is the best time or place."

Just then the little triangle of the outside world lit up as if a spotlight had been turned upon it and there was a terrific crack of thunder that had certainly been within a kilometer. Despite himself the Copy Nin stiffened.

Sakura took in his hunched shoulders and crease between his eyebrows. She had known that he hated storms—she hadn't known that he hated them this much. This was a man who could take a kunai to the chest and shrug it off; she wasn't sure she had ever seen him so on edge.

"On the contrary," she said, a soft smile on her lips, "maybe it's the best time."


	6. Equilibrium

Sakura pressed her lips to the cool column of his neck then and gave him a passionate, wet open-mouthed kiss there as one of her hands threaded through his soppy locks.

His fingers flexed at her waist and he unconsciously leaned into her touch. "I thought that this was just for eliminating distractions."

"Yes, but—" She had resumed rocking back and forth against him, but this time his will wasn't strong enough to stop her. His hot, hard length was pressing against her core in the most delicious way and before he knew it his treacherous hands at her waist were guiding her, pressing on her so that he could  _almost_  feel her sex through their underwear. "—sometimes we need a little distraction, don't you think?"

The rain lashed against the branches of their lean-to and the wind was doing its best to tear it down as the lightning and thunder continued to tremble the earth. But the cacophony seemed to fade into the ether, borne further away from them with each sigh and moan.

He knew that this was ill-advised. They were in the open and vulnerable to ambush with the sounds of the storm to mask any approaching threat. Though they were still in the Land of Fire, they were close to the Ame border. Sakura and Kakashi were in all the Bingo Books of the enemy for one reason or another and there was a possibility that an Ame nin was brazen enough to attack them here.

Though, he reasoned with himself as he suckled on an earlobe, the chances of that were slim to none.

When his fingers danced down her chest, pausing to squeeze her breasts held behind tight bindings, she had her answer. And when those rough digits traipsed lower, past her belly button to teasingly skim over her yellow panties he left electricity in his wake.

There was little prelude; the fires within them demanded to be fed. When Kakashi slipped his fingers underneath the soft cotton of her underwear to touch her sex he hissed in delight upon feeling her slick, wanting entrance. Sakura's back arched and she rubbed herself against his fingers, her mouth slightly open in a silent plea.

"Not your fingers," she panted even as she rubbed against them wantonly.

While his mind wasn't entirely sold on this, there was at least one part of him that was at attention and ready to serve. When Sakura reached into his boxers and her soft fingers wrapped around his shaft the last shred of his reserves melted away to leave nothing but molten greed. Codes of honor, lines between relationship boundaries, the end of days outside their little sanctuary—all were as insignificant as grains of sand before this pink-haired vixen.

He had to have her.

Both too impatient, Kakashi shoved aside her undies as she rose off him slightly. Guiding him so that his moist tip was resting insistently at her entrance, she gave him a small smile that somehow managed to be both sure and shy at the same time.

And then she was slowly lowering herself down onto him, impaling herself on his love until she was fuller than she had ever felt. The familiar yet new sensation of being stretched and of finding a missing piece of herself caused a wave of heat to surge through her, and Kakashi's grip on her waist was almost tight enough to bruise, his head tipped back against the tree trunk behind him.

"Move," he begged hoarsely. Every single fiber of his being commanded it.

And she did. With steadying hands on his shoulders, she went slowly at first as they both adjusted to one another's quivering heat and covetous hands. Up and down she rode, lamenting each time she lost the completion he gave her and relishing his return to her core with a shuddering whimper. Kakashi's hands slid from her waist to her hips and back, hot and searing and grounding.

"I love how you feel inside me," she whispered, and she could feel his cock twitch within her at the praise. A tight knot of pleasure was forming behind her navel, compounding each time she took his generous length as deep as she could. It was even ten times better than she had imagined it would be.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was struggling to remember how to talk. Never before had he been inside a woman as tight and  _hot_  as his little medic. It felt as though he had slid into a velvet glove tailored for him and no one else, squeezing against him so that he could feel her every contour and tremor. Each one of her movements brought both the greatest torture and sweetest ecstasy, and despite the fact that he had been shivering a few minutes ago a light sheen of sweat now graced his body and he was burning up with the desire to ravage her.

How had he waited so long to taste this sweet, sweet fruit?

"I should have done this a long time ago," he lamented in a groan, and either in response to his words or to the unexpected roll of his hips she gave a silvery moan.

Just as in battle, Sakura understood him and his needs better than anyone. Her pace grew faster, her thrusts more powerful as Kakashi slid his hands over her firm ass to push and pull her to him.

"More," she begged him, a wild desperation in her emerald eyes. "Harder."

She could have told him to do anything and he would have leapt to obey. He was a slave to her so long as she looked at him with such unbridled lust, so long as she made him feel like he would burst with her next touch or sigh.

With no warning at all Kakashi began meeting her thrust for thrust, setting a pace so brutal that it was all she could do to cry out his name and wrap her arms around his neck. Each time he drove deep inside her, hitting that hidden knot that threatened to unravel her body and soul. Helpless against his onslaught, she clung to him desperately as he fucked her.

When Sakura heard him bite back a groan and pant against the shell of her ear, "So  _good,_ " she could take it no longer and she dug her nails into his back as she gasped and shuddered her release. It ripped through her like a tidal wave, encompassing her and leaving her awash in nothing but absolute pleasure as he continued to rock her core to him.

Kakashi's rhythm took on a wild, almost animalistic pace and he grunted while he pistoned relentlessly deeper and deeper within her quivering center, and in only a few moments she proved too warm and inviting to resist any longer. The final tethers were undone with the sound of his name on her hoarse voice and he came hot and full inside her as he rutted brokenly.

A lash of white hot want flashed through her as she felt his seed filling her. It was something she usually never allowed; even though she was on birth control like all kunoichi, she didn't want to risk her career over a moment of lust.

But she had forgotten just how  _good_  it felt to have a man lose himself inside her, to know it had been  _she_  that had made them come so undone.

And that she had been able to make Sharingan Kakashi of all people unravel was one of the biggest power trips ever—keeping in mind that this was coming from a woman who had helped to destroy some of the most powerful foes known to the world.

They held each other as they panted, and outside all that could be heard was the sound of heavy rainfall blanketing the world. It seemed that the storm had passed. Maybe the lightning god was a prude.

"Don't suppose one of those thousand jutsu is one that can dry clothes?" Sakura broke the silence between them.

His chin was still hooked over her shoulder as his hands slid away from her back. Sakura was a bit disconcerted by how she missed their warmth almost immediately. "Possibly."

"Would you be gracious enough to show it to me? Only I'd hate to return home looking like this."

Kakashi sat up and back a bit to take Sakura in. Her damp pink locks had just begun to dry in waves and framed her flushed face nicely. Her lips were full, bosom still heaving the slightest bit. And if he looked down lower, he could see that they were still connected and his semen was slowly leaking out and down his length.

In short, she was perfect.

And he would sooner kill someone than let them see her like this. A vicious possessiveness tore through him like a whirlwind, come and gone in the blink of an eye but leaving him with alarm. He wasn't a jealous man. And this was his partner and friend, whom he had known to entertain various male company at her leisure. He had never cared before if someone else enjoyed her, but now…

Just the thought of someone else between her legs like he was now twisted into his gut like a cold knife.

Thoroughly shaken by himself but not showing even the slightest hint of it on his face, he gave her a small smile and tapped her thigh. She slid off his softening length and moved to sit beside him. With a few handseals he had conjured a small fireball in one hand and held their clothes up to it one by one until they were dry. Sakura watched inattentively; she seemed to be in the same post-coital wonderland he was.

By the time their clothes were dried and they were dressed again the rain had lessened to a drizzle. In total perhaps only an hour had passed, but it could have been an entire day.

Set to leave their lean-to and head back to the real world, Sakura made to crawl out when suddenly the Copy Nin's hand shot out to grab her arm.

"Wh—" she began to demand, but when she swirled around to glower at him he had an index finger to his masked lips and his black eyes were cold and no-nonsense.

Sakura pricked her ears and it suddenly dawned on her just how quiet the forest had become. With the rain freshly over, the birds should have been making up for lost time with twice as much song as usual, but the only thing she could hear was the pitter patter of raindrops falling from leaves.

A heavy, chilled feeling began to settle in her gut. Someone was out there.

They had two options: they could exit their bivouac in an attempt to locate and identify the visitor, or they could sit inside and wait. There was a chance that they were simply being surveilled or that they hadn't been spotted yet, and stepping out into the open could leave them vulnerable to a sudden attack.

Being as their current mission had been regarding civilian matters, it was unlikely that this was related to the mission. Was it possibly an enemy nin thinking they could make a name for themselves by crossing out two Bingo Book entries in one fell swoop? They had little hope of doing so unless they had brought an army with them, and even then their prospects of coming out with all appendages was abysmal.

Together the two of them summoned a shadow clone each and one pair of them left the shelter while the other listened from inside intently. Chatting easily, the two outside alighted to the tree limbs and began heading east toward Konoha.

It was only half a second later that something like a massive orb of lightning struck their shelter and immediately reduced it and the shadow clones within to charred cinders. The real Sakura and Kakashi who had put several hundred yards between them and the lean-to turned back around on high alert.

Whoever they were, they were at least jounin judging by the fact that Sakura couldn't sense them, and she wasn't sure that Kakashi could either. They could attempt to flee, but they needed to at least identify their assailants lest Tsunade skin the two of them alive upon their return.

Their strategy was decided for them in a matter of moments, however, when the thick tree branch beneath their sandals imploded. Likely an exploding tag, but for the enemy to have been able to plant one literally under their noses without them realizing was worrying.

And there was still no sign of them as the two of them plummeted to the ground, but Sakura had a pretty good idea where they might be hiding. The enemy knew they would fall, and so the only logical place for them to be was—

She brought a chakra-packed foot into the ground upon her touchdown, and all the earth around them in a fifty-foot radius ruptured to create a massive crater as soil and rocks were sent flying. Kakashi watched the debris pelt through the air with a hawkish eye and when he saw a few rocks bounce to the ground as though they had hit some invisible boundary he immediately sent a handful of kunai in that direction.

The enemy nin, whether due to the surprise of Sakura's attack or Kakashi's perceptive aim, sidestepped the barrage of kunai but in the process lost his camouflage and became visible. Tall, dressed in unrevealing black from head to toe, and with no hitaiate to disclose his loyalties. He was young, perhaps the same age as Sakura, with tan skin and almost luminous blue eyes. A hood covered the top of his head but she could see a few wiry brown locks peeking out from beneath it. He radiated confidence, but not in the same way that someone dangerous like Orochimaru or Itachi did. This was a man whose strength hadn't been forged in war and strife.

"Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi," he said in a sure, challenging tone.

Sakura scowled at him and readied her fists while Kakashi took on a relaxed stance as he said easily, "And now introductions are halfway over. You are?"

The enemy nin wore a winsome smile, and the kunoichi began to wonder if this man wasn't simply an idiot. "I'm Takemura Ryosuke, and I'm here to capture you both."

"Ah. I see," Kakashi said politely. "Any reason in particular?"

Their assailant opened his mouth to answer, but then there was a volley of senbon coming at them from their left and they were forced to separate to avoid them.

"Ryo, just shut up and capture them."

A woman appeared from behind a thick elm tree, flanked by eight other nin in equally nondescript black. The woman, though, had a shock of long, wavy orange hair she had tied into a high ponytail that dripped out from under her hood and down her chest. Her face was youthful like the man's, but her brown eyes carried a hardness that came with years of sacrifice and tough calls. She was the one to watch out for, not this guy. The other ninja appearing out of the trees were all chunin and would be easy enough to take out together.

There was no more time for chatting or trying to figure out who they were. They could only hope now that they would use a jutsu or tactic unique to a certain village and that one of them would notice it. Or possibly take one hostage and question them. Sakura was betting that if anyone would be knowledgeable and talkative it would be Chatty Charlie, who was currently making hand signs for what appeared to be a lightning release.

The first thing she needed to do was neutralize the chunin. Take out the small fries so that they could focus on Ryosuke and the woman.

Kakashi gave her a curt nod of recognition and they were off.

Sakura lunged toward one of the eight chunin who was just about to throw a poison-laced kunai at her. He was much too slow, though, and with one solid punch to his gut she had ruptured his internal organs. There would be no more problems from him. In her peripherals she sensed Kakashi engaging Ryosuke and she could smell burning plasma as the the two battled.

For the most part, despite being Tsunade's apprentice and one of the next Sannin, her foes tended to underestimate her. She was a girl, she had long pink hair, she was young, and she was a medic. Compared to the Copy Nin who knew a thousand jutsu and had a service record nearly twice as long as hers, she was nothing. It was a never-ending source of irritation for Sakura, but it also worked in her favor in battle when her enemies overlooked her until she was barreling toward them with her fist raised.

However, the woman with orange hair perhaps was a victim of the same judgements, because she made a beeline for Sakura at a speed that was truly alarming, her lips pressed together in determination. The pink-haired kunoichi lobbed four kunai at the chunin, managing to hit three of them gravely enough they would be unable to continue the fight, and then leapt away from the woman's ferocious kick.

To purposefully attack Sakura with taijutsu meant one of two things: her opponent was suicidal or had a trump card.

The two women stood a couple yards apart, taking in the other warily. Sakura had the option of attacking first, but without knowing exactly what her opponent's fighting style was she didn't want to take the risk. Better to start off assessing.

She flew through a series of hand seals that caused a geyser to erupt beneath the orange-haired woman's feet, and with an unamused harrumph she leapt high and far away from it. Sakura used this opportunity to throw a few poisoned kunai that she easily avoided.

She was good.

Kakashi was embroiled in a fierce bout of taijutsu with Boisterous Boy, hands and feet flying faster than even the average chunin could see. This strange ninja gave as good as he got, though, and after a while Kakashi realized that this was not his best opponent. A switch was in order.

A brief whistle was all the notice Sakura had, but it was all she had needed. With a simple genin-level body flicker technique the two of them effortlessly swapped foes and the kunoichi used Ryosuke's surprise to land a fierce punch to his chest. She had put enough chakra into it that she broke his sternum and cracked some ribs but left his organs unharmed. He would be needed for questioning afterwards.

He reeled back with a yell, a thin stream of blood trailing out of the corner of his mouth, but he was still grinning.

"Nice," he complimented her, and then he was rushing back at her as though she hadn't just broken seven of his bones.

His fists were fast, but Sakura's were the slightest bit faster. It didn't take long for him to realize this, and he began summoning lightning chakra to his hand where it crackled ominously though not with the same blinding intensity of Kakashi's. Sakura had had her fair share of close calls with Chidori and was more than familiar with the move. So long as she avoided being hit with it, there would be no problems.

Again they charged, this time with Sakura dodging to the left and right to evade his glowing arm. Each time she tried to get close enough to land a hit on him he swept up his electricity-coated arm and she was forced to abandon the move.

"Scared of a little lightning?" he teased her, grinning as she ducked to miss his swipe.

"Just waiting for you to drop your guard," she muttered, and just then saw the opening she had needed. With a speed unrivaled she took a step closer to him so they were mere inches apart, her fist veritably glowing with excess chakra as she tossed it back.

But Ryosuke's lightning had changed in the same blink of the eye it had taken Sakura to get close enough to strike, and now it was shaped like a saber, glowing and crackling with murderous intent as it careened toward her on a path to slice her left arm clean off.

She had less than a one-hundredth of a second to make a decision. Adrenaline and the burning will to survive surged through her stronger than a typhoon in that moment. Every hair on her body stood on edge as she screamed and brought two hands glowing with her blue chakra up and twirled out of his reach.

The next moment was filled with the unmistakable sound of ripping flesh and the cloying smell of fresh blood. Warm and thick it spurted from his dismembered corpse and splattered Sakura's front.

The silence that ensued was crushing as all froze to take in the destruction.

" _NO!"_  The orange-haired woman's hard frown had shattered into a horrified, dismayed grimace as she took the many parts of Ryosuke's body at Sakura's feet. The color had drained from her face, stolen from her the same moment the light had vanished from the smiling ninja's eyes.

The mission and her foes forgotten, the woman dashed to him. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground in a heap beside him, letting out a choked sob as she cradled his head in her lap.

Sakura could only watch with her mouth agape. A thousand words of apology and explanation and rebuke were bubbling up but they were strangled in her throat. All she could do was watch this woman lovingly caress this dead man's cheeks and brush his hair from his brow as she murmured impossible promises to him.

Abruptly a change swept through her, and she looked up at Sakura with a look so seething with hatred the kunoichi recoiled as though she had been struck. There was a mad glint in her doe brown eyes that promised destruction at any cost.

"I swear to all the gods," she said lowly, "that I will take everything you hold dear, just as you have done to me."

And in the next instant she had taken the body with her and vanished into thin air, leaving a Sakura and Kakashi alone with the rest of the corpses.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

Kakashi was at her side, staring intently at her, and yet she couldn't tear her gaze away from the grassy spot where that boisterous boy had been. There was an average of five liters of blood in the human body. Sakura had never realized just how  _much_  that was until now.

" _Sakura,_  answer me. Are you injured?"

She hadn't seen this much blood since that team of ANBU operatives had been outnumbered by a band of enemy nin. She had worked for eighteen hours straight in woods almost identical to this, expending her every ounce of chakra to make sure that everyone would return home. At the end of it she had been covered from the hands up in their blood and sweat and they had had to carry her back to Konoha, but they had all made it.

Today, just how many people weren't making it home because of her?

The world as everyone knew it was teetering on great scales. In one bowl was life and in one was death, and she and Tsunade and all the other medics played god by plucking those from death and tipping the scales back to life. But there had to be an equilibrium; the scales sought balance intrinsically. However many she saved she would undoubtedly condemn at some point.

Hands large and hot were seizing hers, squeezing them. She gasped at the touch and looked up to see Kakashi the picture of anxiety as he took in her expressionless and blood-soaked countenance.

"Say something, Sakura," he pled.

The only words she seemed capable of uttering at the moment tumbled from her lips in a quivering whisper. "Kakashi-sensei…"

Desperate for his warmth and his ration, she hugged him fiercely. It took him a moment, but he reciprocated by wrapping his arms loosely around her. Sakura didn't cry, nor did she speak. She just pressed her face into his flack jacket and breathed in his familiar scent of sandalwood and freshly clipped alfalfa. When life had thrown her into a deep dark crevice she never thought she'd be able to return from, he had always been there with a rope and that lazy smile. This smell, this voice, this body could bring her back from the brink.

"I did something terrible," she whispered finally.

He waited patiently for her to continue, not minding at all that she was getting him all bloody.

"He was about to cut my arm off and I panicked. I used multiple chakra scalpels out of instinct and…" The results were clear.

"You eliminated him before he could harm you," Kakashi reasoned. "You did the right thing."

She shook her head. He didn't understand. "The scalpel is a tool for healing, not maiming. What I did was wrong. And that woman...she looked devastated."

"A ninja must use any tool at his disposal to complete a mission. It wasn't a pretty way to kill the enemy, but it was quick and painless if nothing else."

Sakura pulled away from him so she could look into his dark eyes to gauge him. The only thing she saw reflected in his gaze was deep concern for her. He didn't care that she had killed the man who could have given them information, and he didn't mind that she had let the only survivor slip away. His number one priority was her wellbeing. He would always choose his teammates over the mission.

"I shouldn't have let her go," she murmured regretfully.

Kakashi shrugged. "In a manic state like that she would have sooner bit off her own tongue than given us any intel. Besides, I've got a feeling that they're not done with us. We'll have another chance."

She nodded even though she couldn't muster the energy to agree.

"Let's get cleaned up." From the way his eyes crinkled Sakura knew he was fixing her with his best warm smile. The one he used to give her when Sasuke trampled her heart again and again and again. The one that was like melting sunshine.

Somehow it always gave her the little push she needed to pick herself back up again.

"Thank you," she said honestly, giving him a tremulous smile of her own.

In lieu of reply Kakashi's arms slipped away from her and he ruffled her hair affectionately.

First they went to the bodies of the chunin only to see that there were none. There had been eight of them in various places nearby just a few minutes ago, and now it was just the two Konoha nin. There was no way that hunter nin had managed to come and take back all of those bodies without Kakashi or Sakura noticing. Kakashi pulled down his mask and got down on his hands and knees to smell the moist earth where one of the ninjas had lain.

"There's something residual here," he decided. "Acidic. Maybe they had some sort of poison that could disintegrate their bodies?"

Sakura shuddered at the thought. It would have to be a particularly vile concoction to be able to completely erode flesh and bone in a matter of minutes. She procured a glass vial from her bag and handed it to Kakashi, who scooped up a sample of soil from the area and put it inside. When she returned to Konoha she would have research to do.

After rinsing herself off as best she could in a shallow stream and changing into a spare change of clothes in her bag they headed back home, saying little and taking breaks seldomly. They needed to report this incident as soon as possible.

The surreptitious glances Kakashi kept giving her when he thought she wasn't looking were slowly but surely driving her crazy, though, and after a few hours and seven worried looks she stopped on a tree branch. The silver-haired nin halted smoothly with her.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" she demanded.

He pulled off the ignorant look well. "Like what?"

"Like you think I'm gonna burst into tears at any second," she snapped. "I'm not some delicate flower, no matter what my name suggests."

"I haven't made that mistake in eight years."

His slight platitudes weren't going to appease her. "Well, I don't appreciate the constant glances. I'm fine."

Kakashi's eye was unreadable as he took in her positively stormy expression. Rumor had it that she had even managed to browbeat Ibiki into submission one day when he had tried to keep her from healing a prisoner after interrogation.

But no amount of dour looks and killing intent was going to cause him to waver. Her anger may have been one of her best defenses, but Kakashi knew every chink in her armor and could dismantle it in a heartbeat if he so chose.

He said quietly to her, "You're allowed to be upset about killing."

"Thanks for the permission," she all but spat, and then resumed hopping from branch to branch homeward.

Kakashi gave a sigh. She could make his life so difficult at times.

And, he realized dully as his eyes automatically drifted to her derriere, he had a feeling things were only going to become more complicated.


	7. No Rest for the Wicked

Sakura had managed to come out of her funk upon seeing Konoha's gates. "What happens on a mission stays on a mission" had become her mantra years ago, and the great wooden doors seemed to open in greeting to her. Inside was home, hot showers and meals, and friends. With such luxuries she could put anything behind her.

Kakashi didn't hold her temper against her. He was well accustomed to her taking out her displeasure on him or Naruto or innocent bystanders and her ire was like water off a duck's back. Sakura always felt guilty once she had cooled down, but he took everything she gave him and never complained. He was a good friend to her.

The Hokage was less than pleased to hear of a potential new threat against two of her most prized ninja and vowed to dispatch ANBU to investigate further while Shizune researched the contents of the vial.

"Very well," she sighed, sounding tired as she rubbed her forehead. "Give me those mission reports by eight tomorrow morning. That's  _eight_  and not  _late,_  Kakashi. And if you think you can get away with one as skimpy as the last one, I'll have you on D-rank missions for a month."

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," he said earnestly. "You see, during the last mission my right hand was nearly severed off, and if not for Sakura-chan here I'd be short a limb. It's a miracle I was able to write anything at all, really—"

Sakura rolled her eyes beside him. His hand hadn't been severed. He'd gone and given himself a papercut reading  _Icha Icha_  and whinged about it for the entire mission because Sakura refused to heal something so minor.

Tsunade knew this and held up a hand to silence him. "I don't care if you lose both limbs—you can hold a pen in teeth and write. Now get out of here. It's almost midnight."

"Shishou," Sakura said with a polite nod, and Kakashi threw up a hand in farewell.

"You better actually write a decent report this time," she warned him as they headed down the stairs. "Don't make me wait a whole month to go on a real mission again."

"Eager to eliminate some distractions again?" he asked, daring to waggle an eyebrow at her.

Sakura looked scandalized, mouth open, eyes wide, and a bit of blush spreading hotly across her cheeks. "You," she hissed dangerously, "are a wretched person."

He didn't defend himself, replying sunnily, "The lowest of the low, certainly."

Now at the foot of the tower her scowl lifted and she gave him a small smile. "See you."

"Good night," he said easily, and then vanished in a whirl of leaves presumably back to his apartment and hopefully to write a real report instead of an excerpt from  _Icha Icha Tactics_  like the last time.

Sakura headed back to her own place, a two-bedroom apartment she shared with Ino. Ino had wanted to move out, but her parents hadn't been willing to let their precious daughter live alone despite the fact she was by then an accomplished kunoichi. So the blonde had browbeat Sakura until she finally agreed to become roommates.

The first few months had been nothing but catfights that would wake everyone on the block, but eventually they had found a way to coexist for the most part. Ino was to wash her dishes promptly, not let them sit in the sink long enough they grew legs and began making their escape; and Sakura was to stop stealing Ino's outfits for nights out and bringing them back wrinkled.

When Sakura stepped into the apartment she was immediately greeted by Ino, who sat on the couch watching some sitcom and drinking a glass of red wine.

"Oh, you're back soon! How was your mission?" she asked.

Sakura slid off her sandals and then stepped out of the genkan. "Oh, you know," she sighed and collapsed in a slovenly heap beside her friend. 'It was going great until some totally unrelated band of ninjas decided to try to capture us."

Ino looked away from the screen and to her friend, her gossip radar beeping. Sakura rolled her eyes. This girl was like a hyena—always the first to smell something juicy and she had an annoying laugh to boot.

Sakura decided to cut her off before she could start pressing for details. "I can't tell you any more than that. Tsunade-shishou wants us to find out more about them first."

"Aww, c'mon!" Ino whined. "What village were they from? Were they cute?"

Her pink-haired friend just rolled her eyes and dragged herself to her room. Her queen-sized bed with a fluffy crimson duvet and pillow were practically calling to her, but she instead dutifully sat down at her desk before the window and started writing her mission report. The more she wrote, the more she realized just how similar their mission was to  _Icha Icha Tactics_ , right down to a sordid foursome. The bulk of her mission report, however, wasn't about the mission and more about the incident on the way home. Sakura wracked her brain searching for any recollection she had of them. Had she seen any of them before? The man and the chunin all had very standard looks so perhaps she had seen them in civilian garb and looked over them in the past, but she was certain that she had never seen the woman with bright orange hair before.

Besides the Bingo Book entry, Sakura was at a loss as to why they'd want to capture her. She was a medic, for god's sake. She healed both enemy and ally indiscriminately (well, almost indiscriminately) and it was thanks to her cooperation with other nations' medics that other hidden villages were becoming more proficient in healing arts. A good samaritan was what she was.

She had no difficulty imagining why they'd want to kidnap Kakashi, though. He offended almost everyone he met with his aloofness and attachment to reading porn in public. Not the mention the untold numbers of nin and dignitaries he had assassinated over the years.

This whole thing was probably just Kakashi's fault, she decided.

A couple hours later she had finished the seven pages of report and finally took a quick shower before collapsing in the comfort of her bed, relishing the cloud-like mattress and heavy blankets that were perfect for the chill of her airconditioned room. She would sleep for five hours, slap Kakashi upside the head and drag him to the tower to deliver their reports, and then return to bed for the rest of the day.

She heaved a small sigh at the thought of the silver-haired ninja. Naturally Sakura had kept out all of the details of Kakashi's and her own unprofessional deeds, knowing that he would as well unless he wanted the two of them to be drawn and quartered. Both times had been...startlingly good. There was something to be said for men with experience and not boys, Sakura mused with a smile. Already she found herself imagining what their next mission would be like and wondering whether it would present them with enough distractions to warrant such indiscretions. Few people took a mission more seriously than the Copy Nin; he wouldn't allow them to fool around like that unless he were positive it wouldn't interfere with their duties.

It was the first time Sakura had messed around with a team member while on a mission, and though normally she would have had misgivings about it, she knew that she could trust Kakashi implicitly with the mission, with their safety, with his feelings. With anything.

She was aware that having a sexual relationship with anyone who had once been your teacher was strictly prohibited in order to prevent grooming and other unpleasant things, but Sakura was unconcerned. Kakashi had been her teacher for such a brief period in her life that the  _sensei_  suffix sometimes felt odd on her tongue. Even if they were found out, which was highly unlikely because they were both the best at what they did, surely it wouldn't turn into too huge of a mess.

The kunoichi fell asleep in her warm bed, thinking vaguely of what she would do the next day.

* * *

Sakura woke up to the trill of her alarm clock and dragged herself out of bed reluctantly. She had thirty minutes to get dressed, rouse Kakashi, and force him to come to the tower with her. As hurriedly as she could in her half-asleep state she got dressed in her standard red dress and slapped a sunny-side up egg between a couple slices of buttered toast. For good measure she put some sausages in a bag as well. The dogs always gave her such pitiful looks when she didn't bring them breakfast too. It made Sakura wonder if Kakashi ever properly fed them, being as she had never seen him use a fry pan in any capacity other than an alarm clock on missions.

Food and mission report in tow, she set off for his apartment across town. She let herself in as always and was immediately greeted by eight starving dogs who pounced upon her. If not for her monstrous strength she would have fallen back and through the flimsy door to his cheap apartment, but she was able to remain upright as she held the bag of goodies high above her head.

"Kakashi, get up and get these dogs off me!" she hollered.

She heard his sleepy drawl from the bedroom at the far end of the apartment. "Just give them those sausages and they'll let you be."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Leave it to him to be able to smell the food in an airtight plastic bag from ten yards away. He was more canine than some of his ninken. She gave them each a sausage and they thanked her before eating and allowing her to properly enter the room.

Her partner emerged from his room in nothing but a pair of tatty black sweatpants, the elastic drawstring having left this mortal coil years ago so that they now hung low enough on his hips that she could see the beginning of an outrageously captivating v-line that naturally led her gaze towards—

Sakura forcibly wrenched her eyes off his stupidly nice body and to his face. There was the faintest quirk of a smile on his unmasked lips, but whether this was because he had noticed her roving glance or because he had spotted his breakfast she couldn't say. Sakura scowled at him as he took the sandwich from her and took a bite out of it.

"You put pepper in it this time," he commented happily. "You spoil me."

"Don't let it go to your head," she muttered. "Tell me you've got a decent report written."

He waved a roll of paper in front of her. Where had he gotten it from? Had he had it tucked in the back of his sweatpants? Sakura swiped it from him and instantly unfurled it to check.

"Do you have that little faith in me?" He munched morosely on the sandwich.

Sakura didn't even bother to look up from the report. "Yes."

Kakashi gave a long-suffering sigh and went back to his room to finish dressing. The kunoichi breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that he had taken Tsunade-shishou's threat seriously and had actually written a halfway decent report. It was nowhere near as detailed as mission reports should be, but super-star studier Haruno Sakura more than made up for that with her novella of a report.

The two of them bade the dogs goodbye and went to the tower to deliver their reports to Tsunade. Sakura hated meeting with her shishou in the morning—a tired and hungover Tsunade was a terrifyingly unpredictable creature, just as likely to praise as she was to behead someone, even if that someone was her beloved apprentice.

Luckily the blonde was in a relatively good mood and read over their reports with knit brows. Sakura rolled onto the balls of her feet and back anxiously. She was worried what Tsunade would say when she saw how Sakura had killed the unknown ninja.

"You're saying you used chakra scalpels to slice a man to ribbons?" she asked doubtfully.

"Y-yes."

"The amount of chakra control needed just to sever a nerve or tendon with chakra blades is profound enough as it is, but you managed to actually cut a man into pieces with them?"

"It was in the heat of the moment," Sakura rushed to defend herself against the oncoming tirade. "I know I shouldn't have used my chakra like that, but—"

"What do you mean by that? Your chakra is as much a healing tool as it is a weapon. At the end of the day, a chakra scalpel is just another blade, Sakura. It seems to me that you've finally managed to create your own signature move instead of mooching all of mine."

"I—oh…" Sakura puttered out as the Hokage's words hit her. "So you're not angry?"

"Oh, I'm not happy at all that you killed the one guy who could have given us an explanation to all of this," Tsunade amended, "but better that than you gravely wounded."

There was a bit more discussion about their assailants, but as none of them had any idea who they could be and Tsunade wasn't one for idle speculation she soon sent them away, promising to call them back when Shizune was done examining the traces of poison they had collected.

"And how are you going to spend your next two days off?" Sakura asked her partner as Izumo handed her a generous wad of cash as pay.

Kakashi stowed his own remuneration in his wallet. "Oh, this and that."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his traditional response. "Well have fun reading  _Icha Icha_  and offending the decent. It's your turn to pick up the mission scroll this time."

He gave her a lazy two-fingered salute and slouched off, his nose already in his book.

* * *

No matter how industrious Hatake Kakashi was during a mission, he was practically molasses when he was off-duty. Eighty-five percent of the time he could be found supine in his bed, on a roof, or sometimes in the hospital, and seventy percent of the time he was reading. Once in a blue moon he would be dragged to the bars by some of the other jounin, where he would surreptitiously drink shochu when no one was looking and offer an occasional witty comment before bumbling back home to his dogs.

Sakura, meanwhile, was the sort of person who didn't know the meaning of "vacation" and could either be found at the hospital or at the Academy where she offered supplemental lessons on healing from time to time. Come evening she might head to a bar to unwind and possibly go home with a guy, or she might just stay in and watch stupid movies with Ino if she was around.

After spending Tuesday at the hospital she had told Iruka-sensei to expect her at the Academy the following day, and was therefore surprised when Tuesday night there came a knock at her door. Ino paused their movie and Sakura sat down the bowl of popcorn to answer.

"Yo."

There was Kakashi, looking no different as usual but for the scroll in his right hand.

"I thought we agreed to take two days off," Sakura complained as she stepped aside to allow him in.

Kakashi slipped off his sandals as he gave a wave to the blonde, who gave one back and held out the bowl of popcorn to him. He declined, as eating it around Ino the gossip-mongerer was flirting with disaster.

"A true shinobi remains on duty until the day they die," he said heavily as he sat down at their dinner table.

Sakura stuck out her tongue at him as she opened the scroll and read the details to the mission. Her expression turned sour when she read the header. "Espionage again? Those missions are always so boring. Sit and watch, sit and watch."

His eyes crinkled in an I-know-something-you-don't smile. "Keep reading."

And so she did, her disappointment fading and eagerness growing with each new line. The two of them were to pose as defected ninja and infiltrate an up and rising crime syndicate centered in Erimo, a port city on the eastern coast of Fire Country. Their task was to discover everything they could about the syndicate: how many members, how much and exactly what kind of business they conducted, and how much of a threat they were. From there they would be told either to destroy the organization or to return to Konoha. Kakashi and Sakura had been chosen because once under disguise Kakashi's vast array of jutsu allowed him to become practically any sort of ninja he desired to be, and so long as Sakura hid her healing skills and abnormal strength she was adept at maintaining the cover of a mediocre chunin.

"Ooh, this  _is_  good," she purred, and Ino immediately asked what sort of mission it was. Sakura stuck up her nose. "It's for our eyes and our eyes alone, Pig."

"Forehead, you're the worst friend ever. I tell you all about my cool missions," Ino whined.

"Yeah, and you're breaking the law when you do. Butt out."

With a pout and "hmph!" she vindictively unpaused the movie. That was fine by Sakura, though. Any excitement on the screen paled compared to the anticipation of the real deal.

"So when do you want to leave?" she asked her partner.

"Mm...we'll need to get our disguises and stories in order first. Day after tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. Think I should go brunette or black?"

Kakashi considered it for a bit, but then said, "Let's keep planning this out at my place."

If Ino gave the slightest guilty twitch at his words Sakura paid no heed. She just nodded, said goodnight to her chronically nosy roommate, and followed him to his apartment at a comfortable stroll. He had tucked the scroll in the hip pouch that also held another important text and was looking up at the stars boredly as they walked. From where she stood to his left nearly his entire face was obscured by the mask and hitai-ate, and not for the first time she wished she could read minds.

"This mission is going to be a lot longer than usual," she commented. The projected duration was a minimum of a month, and they generally took missions that were a week long tops. Both were too valuable to Konoha to justify them being gone for such lengthy periods.

"Mm. Tsunade must want us out of her hair for a while."

They stopped by a convenience store because Sakura knew he'd have nothing in his fridge but semi-sentient lifeforms, and then quickly got to work planning out their cover stories on his dilapidated couch with eight ninken sprawled out around and on them.

The first order of business was deciding what their relationship would be under disguise. On previous occasions they had traveled as uncle and niece, brother and sister, and once as boyfriend and girlfriend. They would also need a believable reason for defecting.

Fifty different cover stories floated about Kakashi's mind, but there was one that more tempting than any other. He tried brushing it aside, knowing that he would likely only be hit for suggesting it. But the longer he sat there watching her lick the dreamsicle she'd purchased the stronger the urge to suggest it became.

He had felt odd ever since their last mission. Restless. Like he had an itch but couldn't pinpoint where it was. But seeing Sakura made the discomfort lessen, somehow. This new sensation didn't sit well with him. Until now, he had always parted ways with her after a mission and been completely content not to see her again until the next mission. That wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy her company; on the contrary she was one the of the few people he didn't mind being near for extended periods of time. He simply didn't like being around anyone when it was his time off. It got in the way of his many hobbies…

He had the sneaking suspicion that this new desire to see his kunoichi had everything to do with their moments of indiscretion a couple days ago. Had it already been that long since she had moaned his name as he came inside her?

"—even listening to me?"

Sakura's peeved tone cut through his reveries like one of her chakra scalpels and he gave her an unabashed look as he said smoothly, "I was just wondering about Naruto's milk. Do you think it's expired again? We should drop some off before we leave."

"His milk is always expired. I think he thinks it's normal for it to be chunky."

There were few things that could make battle-hardened Sharingan Kakashi want to wretch, but the thought of eating spoiled food was one of them. Luckily the mask hid his grimace.

"I was saying—and feel free to say no if you think it's a bad idea—" Sakura continued, and he was intrigued to see that she looked just the slightest bit nervous, training her eyes on Pakkun in her lap instead of him. "—I was thinking, it's a long mission and the longer it is the greater risk we run of blowing our cover through a small mistake or slip of the tongue. So maybe it'd be best if we kept our stories as truthful as possible."

When her pause stretched on awkwardly he realized that she was waiting for some sort of affirmation from him. Which was odd, because Haruno Sakura hadn't needed such a thing from him in years.

"I'm listening," he said.

"What if we kept our names and our identities?"

Kakashi found himself biting his cheek, unable to believe the words coming out of her mouth. "You're saying that we should head to this crime syndicate and tell them that we are Sharingan Kakashi and Tsunade-hime's apprentice, and would they please allow us in because we certainly have no ulterior motives?"

She shot him a hot glare as an irritated blush bloomed across her cheeks. "I know how it sounds, but hear me out. If they know who we are we'll be able to move up the ranks quickly once we've gained their trust. As long as our reason for defecting is persuasive enough, it should work."

No. Certainly she wasn't suggesting what he thought she was. It was too much to hope. He nonchalantly scratched his neck through the mask. "And what reason comes to your mind?"

And she went back to rubbing Pakkun's ears, carefully avoiding his eye. Her voice had dropped down to something barely above a whisper. "We could...claim to be lovers."

"Ah." How in sync were they that she could suggest the exact same strategy he had been too chicken to say? He would have laughed, but he knew that he would get at least a punch for doing something so unpredicted after she had asked such a sensitive question. Instead he asked, "Are you sure you want to do that? You seem a bit uncomfortable."

"I can do anything for a mission," Sakura said quickly, defensively. "I've got no problem being your lover for a while. But I don't want to force you into something you're not okay with."

_Not okay with?_  She didn't have the foggiest idea what he thought about her, did she? "You should know by now that I have no problem assuming a role for a mission."

"And...it'll just be a role. For the both of us," Sakura said carefully.

"Of course."

She gave him a probing look, searching for any sign of doubt or reluctance but finding none. Sakura wasn't just a kunoichi—she was also the second-most talented medic in Konoha and perhaps the Five Great Nations. She knew that sex was a slippery slope of unstoppable chemicals that could wash away even the most steadfast logic. She was looking to him for reassurance that he would keep his emotions in check just as she would hers.

She seemed to find whatever she was looking for because she gave him a real smile. "Wonderful. So we'll be lovers unable to continue our relationship in Konoha. Let's have Tsunade kick us out. We're going to need to make this as believable as possible if we're going to convince the crime syndicate of our severed ties."

Unknown to her, a wolfish grin crossed his lips. "I think I have just the plan."

Sakura smiled, and the ornery glimmer he was growing to crave was sparking in her green eyes.


	8. Going Rogue

"C'mon, you guys! Jeez, Sakura-chan! You might as well be just as old and decrepit as Kakashi-sensei. Have a little bit of  _fun_  every once in awhile."

An arm locked with either one of them, Naruto was veritably dragging the two of them down the streets and towards Ichiraku.

"Naruto, we both know how to have a good time. It's just that we don't see gorging ourselves on ramen to be the best way to spend a Tuesday night," Kakashi said.

Nothing could deter the blond, though. "Fine, fine. We'll go to Ichiraku and then we'll go to a bar to satisfy you drunkards."

"That's more like it," Sakura smiled.

It was a massive stroke of luck that tonight of all nights Naruto had chosen to force his two old teammates to socialize with others. Just as the two of them had been debating how to leak their fabricated relationship to Konoha there had been a knock at Kakashi's door, and when Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja gave them a beaming smile, they gave each other pleased smirks.

They ate a bowl of ramen with him and then headed to the bar, where Naruto continued to ply them with drinks until the two of them were fairly besotted. Both Sakura and Kakashi had had plenty of experience acting drunk and infatuated to get closer to a target, so it was an farce that required little effort.

For Sakura, interacting with a target like this brought no joy and no sensation. When their hand brushed against hers she felt nothing but the mute contact of flesh on flesh. When their eyes met she was only analyzing their awareness and intent.

But Kakashi was different. She knew that this whole night was a ruse, that the spark of interest she saw reflected in his gaze was as real as his many reasons for being late. She knew that when his fingers grazed hers on the bar counter the warmth and hesitance were calculated. And yet she couldn't stifle the funny tingle that grew in her stomach with each of his lingering touches and soft but easy laughs.

The still-sober part of her knew that they were headed towards something incredibly risky. She needed to continually remind herself that no matter how genuine his interest seemed, it was just as much a lie as her smiles and caresses were.

Kakashi was her friend. Nothing more. He  _couldn't_  be anything more.

Naruto had wandered off to share some drinks with Shikamaru and Chouji, leaving the two of them to themselves. To the left of Sakura was Genma, and to Kakashi's right was Kiba, who were both talking with friends.

"Say." Kakashi leaned closer so that he could whisper in her ear, "Why don't we go somewhere else?"

The way his breath danced along the shelf of her ear was enough to make her shiver. She placed her smaller hand over his large one on the bar and brought it to her thigh, which he squeezed lightly. A thrill laced through her.

"And where do you have in mind?" she breathed.

"Well…" He trailed off and she could feel the silky material of his masked nose against her neck as he breathed in her scent. Her cheeks, already red from the drink, grew redder. His fingers were playing lazily with the hem of her short dress and doing funny things to her. She felt almost feverish in the fall chill. "Somewhere with a bed, preferably. I'd settle for a wall to press you against though."

Sakura had to bite her lip to keep a soft gasp from escaping her lips. Let it be known that Hatake Kakashi was a master of all trades. Assassination, espionage, seduction. There was nothing he couldn't do flawlessly.

She gave a glance around to see if the people near them had heard or seen anything. Genma, who had been chatting lively with Raido until a few moments ago seemed to have gone oddly still, but Kiba seemed none the wiser. Though with a nose as sharp as his, it was likely that he had smelled their attraction already.

Good.

"No walls this time," she said with a soft smile as she left a few bills on the counter to cover her drinks. Kakashi's fingers slid away from her to pull out his wallet and it was a little pathetic how deeply she craved his hands on her.

The two of them tottered out of their seats and toward the door. And if Kakashi's hand was on her hip it was only so he could help steady her even though he wasn't exactly walking in a straight line himself.

"Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan! Where are you going?" Naruto asked loudly.

"Home," Sakura answered bluntly, and the two of them slid open the sliding doors to the bar and headed to her place.

The alcohol was doing something funny to her head and it made Sakura think that Kakashi's hand was drifting down to her ass as they made their way towards her apartment and, specifically, her big bed with the cloud-like crimson duvet.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kakashi asked. "Your roommate if she catches us…"

Sakura waggled a hand at him, completely unworried. "Ino sleeps like the dead. There's nothing to worry about."

But the truth was that they had decided to make enough noise that her zombie friend would have no choice but to wake up and take notice of their deeds. Their strategy was riding on her noticing.

A wild, dark look was in Kakashi's one visible eye as he suddenly stopped and seized her in a demanding kiss. It was the first time she had ever tasted such hunger on his lips and the drink made her unsure of how to react. She went for what felt natural, and that was to snake her hands under his black shirt and feel the contours of his toned chest as she tilted her head into the kiss.

"I can't wait to have you," he growled, and then with his arms around her they were sucked into a whirlwind of leaves to reappear in her living room.

"Kakashi," she rebuked. This was outside of the plan—they were supposed to walk home so as to create as many witnesses as possible.

"Shh," was all he said, and then his lips and hands were upon her once more, covetous and unrelenting.

Sakura found herself leaning into his touch and returning it in kind as he gradually walked them in the direction of her bedroom. Ino's was only the next room over, and as it shared a wall with Sakura's it shouldn't prove too much of a challenge to rouse her.

"How is it that you taste so good?" her partner breathed into their kiss, and suddenly he had pressed Sakura's back into the hallway wall between their bedrooms.

Chest to chest, the kunoichi could feel his hot, aching erection through his pants and her dress plainer than day, and with a relishing hiss she raised a leg to draw him closer to her core.

"You could take me right here," she offered him.

He was already rutting gently against her, awakening that primal thirst within her that set her on fire. He traced the outline of her cheeks, breasts, and hips as though she were a marble statue of the greatest beauty and value.

But his voice was a growl. "Don't tempt me," was all he said before seizing her lips in another ravenous kiss.

Sakura would later blame the alcohol, but she forgot all about the mission. All she knew was that Kakashi and his warmth and hands and cock were everything she needed, and she wouldn't be able to slake this want until he was coming inside her.

Her green eyes cut through the night and straight into his gaze as she begged, "Fuck me."

Whatever thoughts of their duties and of this being an act were obliterated with those two simple words and that desperate look on her beautiful face. How Kakashi had managed to stay immune to her wiles for so long he would never know.

He had to feel her again.

A groan escaped his lips as she tugged at his shirt, and as desperate as he was to feel her bare flesh against his in its entirety for the first time it was with reluctance that he released his hold on her so she could pull the long-sleeved shirt off over his head. She tossed it heedlessly to the floor and with a soft moan attacked his mouth again with her soft and nimble tongue. All the while her delicate fingers felt every inch of skin and muscle they could find, mapping him out and branding him as her own with their hot touch.

He wanted her hands to be everywhere on him, and with an impatient sigh he pulled her dress over her head and threw it to the floor beside his shirt. Now this—this was much more to his liking. His medic was now clothed in nothing but white undies with red lace to match her dress and the black bindings around her heaving chest.

With renewed want he pressed fully against her, pillaging her every contour with his greedy fingers and tongue. He would commit her to his memory down to the last inch of flesh. "The bindings," he whispered between a voracious kiss.

Her fingers that had sneaked under his waistline to grab at his ass now slinked back up to undo the black bandages and free the two assets Kakashi had wanted to see most during their last two encounters. In a matter of moments she had unraveled the bindings and they fell to the floor like leaves in autumn to reveal her pert, full breasts that were ripe for the picking.

Kakashi cupped them instantly and his cock gave a pleased twitch when she let out a happy sigh. And when he knelt down to take one erect nipple into his mouth and she gasped out his name it was all he could do to keep from fucking her right then and there.

The warm buzz of the alcohol coupled with his hard length pressing insistently against her core had been heady enough, but when he dared swirl his tongue around one of her most sensitive areas Sakura forcibly had to call herself back from the brink. Not yet.

"The bedroom," she managed to say.

Forgetting their clothes on the floor of the hallway he picked her up so that she could wrap her legs around him and grind herself further against his erection. Into her bedroom he took them, and while normally he would have been interested in studying the private quarters of Haruno Sakura tonight he was much more concerned with other private aspects of the lady in question.

Though as he lay her on the bed and crawled over her he realized that there was nothing ladylike about her. Not the way she wrapped her legs around his hips and said his name like a swear as their desire met, nor the way she sucked and nibbled on his neck as though he were the most delectable fruit she'd ever tasted.

He also realized then that there was nothing he wouldn't do to sample her sweet nectar, to hear her cry out his name in utter bliss. Sakura was the most dangerous kunoichi in all of the Great Five Nations, not only because of what she could do, but what she could make others willing to do. In that moment he would lie, he would steal, he would kill if it meant that she would stay his a little longer.

She was tugging at his pants now, and he took them off hastily. There was nothing but their underwear separating them now, and it was sweet, sweet torture when he ground against her core once more.

"Must you keep teasing me?" Sakura whined. "Hurry up."

Even angry she was beautiful. The window behind the bed let in the moonlight, which paled her pink locks to lavender. Her cheeks were red with desire, breasts heaving with the exertion of keeping up with the brutal pace his tongue set.

"You're so lovely, Sakura," he told her, and he was surprised by the honesty with which he said it.

She seemed to be too, judging by her wide eyes.

No time for pesky thoughts like this to ruin their mission. Kakashi slipped his fingers beneath her panties to feel her already dripping wet womanhood and she shuddered at his touch.

"Look at how wet you are for me," he whispered, and took a finger glistening with her juices into his mouth. Sweet with a slight undertone of bitterness and flowers that was so uniquely  _Sakura_  that he found himself closing his eyes to further savor her taste.

"You're the only one who makes me this way," she confided, and now it was Kakashi's turn to look shocked.

Not for the first time tonight he had to remind himself that this was all just an act. He had accompanied Sakura on seduction missions as a backup on several occasions now—he knew that she was extremely adept at saying exactly what it was a man wanted to hear to get them going. Tonight was no different.

He smiled. "You flatter your old teacher, Sakura. Perhaps a reward is in order."

And then he was slowly removing her underwear, leaning over to leave wet kisses in their wake down her legs. He took off his own boxers too, and when he settled over her chest to chest it was the first time they had ever been totally bare before one another.

Sakura looked up into his usually unreadable black eyes that were currently blown with his unfettered hunger for her and gave him a soft smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. This mission would test their relationship unlike any other, but she had absolute faith in him and his ability to keep their emotions on track.

The problem was, Kakashi was looking to her for the exact same thing. They were at the edge of a ravine and about to topple into it, and they were both reaching for the other to pull them back to safety without realizing that they were falling in together.

He pressed into her achingly slow, so that they could both feel every last facet of the other. Gasping, Sakura felt herself stretch to accommodate his girth and it was as though the last part of her had finally come home. Hot and pulsing and threatening to melt her Kakashi continued to delve deeper inside her until he could go no further. He had plunged himself in to the hilt and it was nothing but the sweetest bliss.

"Kakashi," Sakura said brokenly, "don't stop."

Fisting a hand in her long pink locks while the other kept him upright over her, he withdrew only to sink back in completely. Her trembling velvet was unlike any other in its tightness and heat and it was all he could do to bite back a moan and keep from fucking her senseless.

But of course, Sakura had too much of a mischievous streak in her to allow him to keep his cool. Without warning she wrapped her legs around his hips and brought him even impossibly deeper within her, changing their position slightly to allow him to hit a spot that proved too much for the both of them.

He swore as the calm he had worked so hard to maintain was ripped away, replaced with a barren hunger that drove him to pound into her punishingly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she cried out as his rhythm grew more chaotic.

Something about that title sent a jolt of arousal straight from his ears and down to his balls which tightened eagerly as he grunted.

Sakura's gaze glinted with a dark delight. "You like it when I call you sensei," she realized, a smirk so filthy it should be illegal gracing her full lips.

"Hush," was all he could think to say and then kissed her again lest she open her mouth and bring this whole devilish miracle to an abrupt end. Somewhere in the very furthest reaches of his mind he knew that it would be best if she continued to call out his name as loud as possible, but if she did that this would all be over much too soon for his liking.

Besides, with the way the bed was banging against the floor with each thrust it was unlikely that the Yamanaka girl needed any more notice.

Sakura's every breathy moan and shiver and caress built up like magma in a volcano, a steady and unstoppable tide of heat that continued to build and build until he thought he could take no more. Just as he managed to strike that one spot within her that he was quickly learning to be her greatest weakness, she gave an unabashed cry as her slick walls squeezed down on him, doing their damndest to milk his cock of every last drop of cum it could give her. But he valiantly resisted the siren call and continued to thrust madly, seizing her by the hips so that he could drive into her with an almost cruel ferocity.

"Come inside me, Kakashi-sensei," she begged, her eyes shining with a vulnerable need.

And that was all it took for him to go over the edge. Groaning her name as his rhythm collapsed and he filled her to the brim with his seed, pleasure washed over him like an ocean wave. Still connected, he collapsed beside her as he fought to regain his breath and sanity along with her.

Lying chest to chest, Sakura's face was nestled against his collarbone as she panted and revelled in the bliss he had given her. Without thinking he wrapped his arm around her to keep her pinned to him. Now that the passion was fading, the sweat on their bodies was cooling and the chill of the room was beginning to make goosebumps rise.

But getting under the blankets would mean pulling out of her, and Kakashi really just wanted to stay just how they were for a few moments longer. It had been so long since he had felt this...whole.

"You'll be gone by sunrise, right?" she whispered.

"Of course. But I'm tired of having to sneak around like this."

"Me too," Sakura agreed with a sigh.

With any luck, Ino was pressing her ear to the wall to hear every last one of their words right now and falling perfectly for their ruse.

Eventually they were forced to separate to get under the blankets and, though technically just being naked in bed together like this was damning enough they wound up in the other's arms again, Sakura on her side and resting her head in the crook of his shoulder as he put a hand on her hip.

"We fit together so well," she murmured sleepily.

He just yawned and pulled the covers up to obscure the lower half of his face in place of his mask. But inwardly he was hoping that this upcoming mission presented them with plenty of opportunity to do this again.

* * *

The next morning they were awoken with a start by the sound of a shrill squeal of alarm. Ino stood in the doorway looking at them in wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock.

"Oh my God, I thought it was a nightmare, but Forehead, you—and Kakashi-sensei, you—Tsunade will kill you!"

Kakashi didn't move, lest he lose the blankets that were covering his face. Sakura, however, sat up and gave her friend a calm, serious look.

"Ino, are you going to tell anyone about this?" she asked.

The blonde scowled at her. "I know I have a bit of a reputation as a gossiper, but I'm not going to say anything! Are you two stupid? You'll lose your careers if you're found out!"

Sakura just smiled. "Exactly. Tell everyone."

" _What?"_  Ino practically shrieked. "You've lost it!"

"It's for a mission," Kakashi drawled. "We need to create a backstory for deserting the village and you're going to help."

"Jesus! You'll give a girl a heart attack with this shit," she chastised. "Why didn't you just tell me last night instead of leaving me to bite my nails until morning?"

"Because, Pig, I thought it'd be good for you to stew a bit," teased Sakura.

"And did you two actually…?"

Sakura's mischievous grin didn't waver. "Just go tell everyone that you caught us fucking each other's brains out."

Ino flushed bright pink, and muttering angrily turned on her heel and slammed the door shut.

"She's a decent friend," Kakashi commented.

Sakura just shrugged. "Only when it suits her. If Tsunade-shishou stripped me of my rank Ino would be out of a roommate and she'd have to move back in with her parents."

"Ah." He didn't think he would ever fully understand the intricacies of frenemies.

The kunoichi slipped out from under the blankets and rose to her feet to stretch. Kakashi automatically took in her lithe form, from the graceful dip of her spine to the little dimples just above her firm ass cheeks. Like most kunoichi, her body was perfect. But there was something about her curves that made all the other women pale in comparison. Perhaps it was because he now knew how each of those curves felt beneath his fingers.

"You'd better make yourself scarce," she told him as she crossed to her dresser to grab a fresh change of clothes and lay them out on the bed. "Knowing Ino, Tsunade will be sending for us within the hour."

He rose to his feet from the bed. He was pleased to notice that at the full sight of him a slight blush bloomed across Sakura's cheeks and she quickly turned around to head to the bathroom for a shower. At thirty-six, he was almost a pensioner in shinobi terms. It was reassuring to know that she liked what she saw even when she was sober.

"I'll just show myself out, then, shall I?" he said as he slid his rumpled clothes back on.

The shower was already running and she had either not heard him or had chosen to ignore him. So he went back to his apartment without fanfare and began packing a bag appropriate for exile.

* * *

The fifth Hokage was, at the best of times, two seconds away from punching someone through a wall. And at the worst of times Shizune would have to pick out corpses from the rubble of her ruined office.

Today, Shizune thought she'd be be scouring the entire tower, because Tsunade was fit to raze the building.

"Listen here, Yamanaka!" she bellowed as she leaned over the desk to leer at the cowering blonde, cracks spiderwebbing out from beneath her fingers. "If this is more of your hare-brained, shit-stirring gossip I'll have Ibiki string you up by that precious hair of yours from the Hokage monument!"

"I swear it isn't, Hokage-sama!" she cried, true fear in her blue eyes. "I woke up to find Sakura and Kakashi in bed together! We're rivals and we hate each other's guts, but we're friends and I wouldn't just make up something like this."

Tsunade gave Ino her most withering look, and despite herself was impressed when the girl stood firm.

"Get me ANBU!" she barked at Shizune. "And have them drag my apprentice and that lousy Hatake here  _now._ "

"Yes ma'am!"

Shizune was gone in a flurry and left a chilling silence in her wake. Ino stared awkwardly at the floor, silently envisioning the many ways she would pay Sakura back for this. Hair removal cream in her shampoo? Or maybe a bit of poison in her favorite dango sauce? Just enough to make her puke up her guts for a few days?

"You may go," Tsunade said at present. "And I don't want you to speak of this any further with anyone. Do you understand? Consider this on par with national security."

That was unfortunate, because Ino had already told practically everyone she had met on her way to the supermarket and to the training grounds, so by now at least half of the ninja community knew. All she could do now was bow her head humbly and be thankful that she was allowed to leave in one whole, unblemished piece.

Now it was just Tsunade in her office and she heaved a heavy sigh, gritting her teeth and trying not to smash her desk to smithereens. She had only gotten it last month after she had shattered the last one upon hearing Kiba refer to her as "Hokage-baa" when he thought she couldn't hear him. She'd then shattered him for good measure.

Luckily, it was only a matter of minutes until the double doors to her office opened and Sakura and Kakashi were pushed in by six masked members of ANBU. The six bowed to her and then closed the door behind them.

Tsunade rose to her feet, rage positively boiling inside her. These two  _idiots_  didn't even have the grace to look like they were eyeball-deep in shit. On the contrary, Kakashi seemed even more infuriatingly lackadaisical than usual, with that horrid slouch and hands in his pockets. And while Sakura had the decency to at least appear serious, she wasn't groveling and begging for her life like she should have been.

"Now," Tsunade hissed, "you've got three seconds to tell me what's going on or there will be no need to demote you because they'll be carving your names on the Cenotaph."

"Shishou, it's all a ruse," Sakura said quickly. "We didn't actually sleep together. We shared a bed and made some noise, but that's it. We want you to strip us of our ranks and kick us out of the village for our cover for the mission."

Relief that she wouldn't have to murder two of her best shinobi was coupled with a renewed anger and desire to strangle them. "And you didn't think of telling me this beforehand? Do you  _want_ me to die of a stroke?"

"I  _did_  tell Sakura that it would be best for your health if we told you prior, but—"

"You filthy liar! It was  _you_  who came up with the idea of doing it in my apartment and letting Ino spread it around the village!"

Tsunade just shook her head as her always burning temper lessened to a simmer of irritation. She went back to her seat behind the desk and sat down with a sigh. She was too old for this shit.

"So you'll be infiltrating the syndicate without disguises. Bold. I like it. I understand the necessity for such an elaborate ruse. Consider yourselves disgraced ninjas and hand over your hitai-ate and jounin vests, then."

The two placed the items on her desk.

"I must say, though," Tsunade continued as she looked at the two ninja curiously, "I find it surprising that you two would choose this as your cover story. It's sort of like sleeping with your weird uncle, isn't it?"

Kakashi visibly sagged and Sakura thought she could hear him mutter something under his breath that sounded a bit like like, "That's just rude."

The pink-haired kunoichi was tempted to stand up for him. He may have been older than her and have the hobby of reading hardcore pornography in the company of others, but he  _more_  than made up for that in other areas. Those fingers of his alone could make her forget anything questionable about him.

"That just makes our choice to leave Konoha all the more plausible," she chose to say instead. "And please don't call him my uncle. It's...off-putting."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Kakashi, you're dismissed. Sakura, stay back."

That was all the notice he needed. Perhaps still a bit miffed by the uncle comment, he didn't even bother to throw a hand up in his customary disrespectful salute and chose to vanish in a whirl of leaves, leaving a mess behind him.

"Prick," the Hokage muttered, but then turned from the passive-aggressive pile of leaves and to her apprentice with a hard look on her face. "Sakura, be careful on this mission."

"Of course, Shishou. I'll take every precaution against the enemy."

"No, I'm not concerned about some pissant criminals. I'm concerned about Kakashi."

"S-shishou?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"You foolish girl, you realize you will be expected to sleep with him to keep up your disguise, don't you?" Sakura nodded, and the blonde continued, "And you also know that when a woman has sex their bodies release more oxytocin and dopamine than a man does?" Sakura nodded again, understanding exactly where this was going. "I do  _not_  want you two coming back from this mission pining for each other. I'll take away your hitai-ate and I won't give it back."

"You don't have to worry about that," her apprentice told her confidently. "It won't be the first time I've slept with someone for a mission. I can keep my priorities in order."

Tsunade sighed. She trusted Sakura implicitly, but she was just so  _young._  In many ways the girl before her reminded Tsunade of her youthful self. Strong and confident, yet just beneath that steel surface she was still so soft and yielding.

"Leave after nightfall," she ordered. "Good luck."

"Thank you, shishou," Sakura said with a smile and a bow, and then she was gone without the mess of leaves her partner had left.

Back in her apartment, Sakura heaved a sigh and flung herself on the bed. If she pressed her face to the pillows she could still smell Kakashi's scent. Just his smell on her blankets alone had her remembering the night before. It was patchy due to the six yuzu sours she'd had, but she clearly recalled her delight upon discovering that Sharingan Kakashi had a kink.

He liked it when she called him "sensei."

Which was just as well, because she secretly enjoyed the taboo of it too. She had always gravitated towards the smart, confident type anyways. Brains were even sexier than a six-pack, in her mind. Luckily for her Kakashi had both of those things in spades, and the fact that he had been her actual teacher made it all the more hotter.

"Are you trying to suffocate yourself or do I just smell that nice?"

Sakura had never moved so fast in her entire life. She sat up and swirled around to face the object of her fascination in the flesh, a cylindrical rucksack slung over one shoulder and sans the jounin vest.

"I'll suffocate  _you_ , you—" she started, rising off the bed.

She was reaching for his throat so she could throttle him, but with an irritating calm he grabbed her by the wrists and pushed her back onto the bed. He fell with her to settle neatly between her legs, and Sakura was so taken aback by it that her death threats died on her lips.

"Unfortunately, asphyxiation isn't my thing," he whispered against the shell of her ear. When he rolled his hips against hers she was ashamed to realize she was already beginning to grow wet.

"So what  _is_  your thing?" she asked, a teasing smile growing on her lips as she ran a hand down his shirt so she could feel the toned muscle beneath.

"Oh, you know," came his easy reply as he continued to hump her at a slow, almost lazy pace that made her want to scream for more. His eyes were twinkling with want and a bit of mischief. "Serving my country, upholding the shinobi code of honor."

And then he pulled away from her, taking away all of the warmth and pleasure he had bestowed. Sakura frowned her displeasure for a brief moment before remembering that they were on a mission and she had no right to be upset when he stopped doing something he actually shouldn't have been doing in the first place.

"You're an idiot," was all she managed to snap and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "So you're set to leave?"

He nodded, and though she couldn't see nearly two-thirds of his face she knew he was smiling at making her flustered. "All I need is lunch."

So Sakura made them a light meal of sandwiches and a few extra for the road. It would take a couple days to get to Erimo on foot and Tsunade wouldn't be pleased if they ate out every meal.

"There's only one thing that's really worrying me about this whole thing," Sakura said as she munched on her pastrami and cheese sandwich. She had chosen it specifically because she knew that out of all the lunch meats it was his least favorite and watching him pick at his meal gave her a burst of vindictive glee.

"What's that?"

"That kunoichi who attacked us the other day. What if she's part of this syndicate?"

"Unlikely. A kunoichi of her caliber can't help but make waves. If she were in Fire Country for a prolonged period intel would have picked up on her by now."

Sakura frowned. She knew that Kakashi's logic was sound, but she had a vague unease in her stomach. Shizune was still in the process of analyzing the sample of poison they had brought back, and without her findings they had nothing to inform them of their attackers' identities. It felt like they would be leaving Konoha blindfolded.

The two of them waited for nightfall, drawing the curtains and ignoring the many rings of the doorbell as her friends came by to ask whether it was true. Sakura busied herself with sharpening her kunai while Kakashi alternately napped or read on her couch. After double-checking their provisions, the two of them set off and leapt over a conveniently unguarded portion of Konoha's walls.

Sakura turned around to look back at her home that was behind the towering wooden wall. They would be gone for at least a month and likely longer. She hoped that they would be able to return home soon, before the tales of their false relationship became too hard to correct.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks, as always, for reading. I posted this flurry of chapters because I wanted to get caught up to what I had posted on FF. From now on, you can expect updates on a weekly basis.


	9. Outside the Gilded Cage

It took them three days of walking, but they finally made it to Erimo around dusk. Erimo was a moderately-sized port city of nearly thirty-thousand people and their business was mostly with the Land of Waves. Market streets were thriving as everyone went shopping for dinner and among the selection were fresh fish of all varieties and a broad assortment of fruits and vegetables. After walking all day, Sakura's stomach was growling, but the two of them pressed through the crowds and closer to the harbor, where intel said the syndicate based their operations.

In the past three days, Kakashi and Sakura had had ample time to flesh out their stories down to the minutest detail and were ready for any situation that could be thrown at them. They were all business as they headed towards a seedy bar along the pier. Here nearly all of the buildings were factories and other businesses made of rusted metal and there was a lingering odor of fish that made Sakura want to wretch. Nestled between a fish processing plant and a warehouse for import/export of various dry goods was an equally ramshackle establishment with two small dirty windows and a door with a shining brass doorknob that was well-polished by many hands over many years. It was called "Sea Shell," but the capital "s" of "Shell" had lost a nail or two and had fallen off, leaving Sakura to wonder whether it was merely the name of the bar or a promise of what was waiting for them.

"Well," Kakashi said with a smile, "our new life awaits us."

He opened the door and walked assuredly in and she followed him, senses on high alert. The inside was dingy and smelled of seawater, and somehow everything seemed to have a coat of grime on it. Moderately sized, there was enough seating for only about thirty patrons and currently nine men of various stature and gruffness were drinking at the bar to the right or the tables to the left. All had the scarred bodies and cold glares of men whose worth was measured not by their hearts but by their sweat and blood. None of them seemed to have any chakra at their disposal, which relieved Sakura. She didn't want to start off with a fight.

Nearly all of the customers stopped what they were doing to stare at them with varying levels of wary disgruntlement, but neither shinobi batted an eye.

"We're looking for Mifune Naoto," Kakashi announced.

The bartender, a raven-haired man in his fifties with a wild beard and wilder brown eyes sat down the beer bottle he had been holding as he leveled them with a furtive glower. "And what business do you have with him?"

"We're looking for work," Sakura told him.

"You ninjas?" he asked.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck abashedly. "Ex-ninjas, actually."

The patrons all seemed to sit up just a bit straighter at this and some were clutching their beer bottles and mugs tighter, as though their drinks would serve as a weapon against them.

Despite his gruff appearance, the barkeep wasn't just brawn. His sharp eyes swept over Kakashi's silver hair and eyepatch and Sakura thought she could see the beginnings of recognition in his gaze.

"Names?"

"Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura."

The room grew deathly still. Even if they were civilians, they would have to have lived under a rock their entire lives not to have heard of the Copy Nin.

And now the bartender was in a pinch. He couldn't summon his boss to meet two ninja who were likely here to topple their organization, and he also couldn't kick them out.

Kakashi gave the tense men an easy, close-eyed smile and said placatingly, "We really are here for a job. See, we've been kicked out of Konoha. And trust me, if we had come here to kill Mifune—" His smile dropped to reveal a cold and cunning glint. "—we would already have his head in a bag and be on our way back to the Hokage."

The man behind the counter considered them for a couple long moments and, without taking his eyes off the two of them, said to one of the men at the counter, "Go fetch Mifune-sama."

The man in question all but leapt out of his seat and headed through a door at the far end of the bar. What ensued next was a very long and awkward wait as the men all stared unblinkingly at them and Sakura and Kakashi stood patiently. He whistled a few bars of "Zippity Doo Dah" until his partner tried to stomp on his foot and then went back to waiting in silence.

After a few more minutes that seemed to stretch on for eternity, the door at the back of the bar opened and out emerged a grinning Mifune Naoto, the person intel stated was the kumicho, or leader of the syndicate. He was surprisingly young—certainly not a day over thirty, with spiky chestnut brown hair and electrifyingly blue eyes that sparked with both delight and wit. Of average height and build and with no visible scars, it was clear that he found others to fight his battles for him.

"Sharingan no Kakashi," he greeted in a booming, self-assured baritone. "What an honor it is to meet you and your…" He looked over to Sakura in consternation for a brief moment before finishing, "niece."

Sakura could practically feel the ninja's indignation at once again being the weird uncle radiating off him in waves, and he wasn't the only one rubbed the wrong way by Mifune's words.  _Everybody_  knew who he was, but they were always so quick to disregard Sakura.

She took Kakashi's hand in hers and squeezed it in a show of solidarity as she snapped at the man, "I'm not his niece, I'm his fiancée. I'm also Haruno Sakura, former apprentice to the Godaime Hokage."

Mifune's brows raised in surprise before he gave her a kind smile. It was the same smile you gave a child when they told you the purple and pink squiggles they had drawn were a giraffe. Kakashi gave her hand a squeeze to remind her that punching or otherwise maiming him was unacceptable.

"My apologies," Mifune said smoothely. "Let us continue this conversation elsewhere."

Sakura was still fuming, but Kakashi led her to follow after the kumicho, who beckoned them through the far door and into a hallway with several doors to the left that they passed by. At the end of the hallway was an entrance to the neighboring warehouse where men were working on hefting crates and their contents hither and thither. Mifune led them up a set of steel steps and into an office on the second floor that afforded a view of the work floor below.

He motioned for them to sit in two chairs on one side of the desk while he sat in the other and folded his fingers together.

"Tell me why you're here," he said to Kakashi.

So Kakashi recounted their story. The relationship they had carefully kept private for four years had finally come to light, and they had been offered the ultimatum of breaking up or leaving the village. Unwilling to part from each other, they had chosen the latter and were now vagabonds looking for a new start.

Mifune listened closely, poring over the Copy Nin's every word. When Kakashi had finished he was silent for a few moments longer before stating, "You are one of the strongest ninja in the Five Nations, and she must be useful if she was the Hokage's apprentice. I find it hard to believe that they would kick you out, even if your relationship together is unsavory."

Sakura explained, "The Hokage was reluctant to strip us of our rank, but the village elders were unshakable. By concealing our relationship and continuing to work together we jeopardized countless missions. We've been made an example of."

"That's a pity," the man frowned sincerely. "And how do you feel about Konoha now?"

"Furious," Sakura growled, clenching her fists. "We shouldn't have kept our relationship from them, but we have devoted our entire lives to them and they throw us out? I'll never forgive them."

"Though we still care for the friends we had there," Kakashi added. He put a large hand on her shoulder soothingly and she leaned into his touch, eyes sliding shut.

"And why would two exceptionally skilled jounin come to  _me_  to look for work? We are merely a humble import and export business. Surely there are better avenues of employment. Mercenary work, perhaps?"

"We don't want a job that would pit us against our friends," Kakashi said. "Besides, an up and coming enterprise like yours needs a way to muscle out the competition. Sakura and I could make your business the most profitable in all of Fire Country."

Mifune ran his fingers through his goatee, brows knit as he considered the two ninja before him. Sakura and Kakashi waited.

"Very well," he decided at length. "We'll take you on. I'm not one to pass up a good opportunity when I see it. Though, until we can verify your story you'll be doing dockwork."

The two nodded, relieved smiles breaking across their faces as they gave polite bows. "Thank you, Mifune-sama," Sakura said. "We'll serve you well."

He rose to his feet, giving them an easy smile. "All of the men under our employ stay in our barracks. I'll have one show you there." He turned his gaze to Sakura. "And I recommend that you stick close to your fiancée. You'll be the only woman there and some of the men are used to taking what they want when they want it."

Outrage swept over Sakura's features. That he could speak so easily of his men raping women was enough to make her want to rearrange his face; that he knew she was a powerful kunoichi and still thought she needed someone to protect her had her unthinkingly sending chakra to her fist.

Kakashi took that fist in his hand and patted it as he assured lightly, "Sakura can fend for herself."

"If anyone lays a hand on me I'll break it before they even know what happened," she swore.

Mifine laughed as though she had made a cute joke and opened the door to take them out of his office. "Welcome to Mifune Enterprises, then. Ginta, show them to the barracks."

A man with more scars than teeth lumbered towards them, looking none-too-pleased to be their guide. Without a word, he merely started walking and the two ninja followed him out of the warehouse and back into the city. Sakura was exceedingly glad to learn that their lodgings wouldn't smell of fish.

In a few minutes, they arrived at a four-story wooden building. Their not-so-gracious host headed inside and up the creaky stairs to the third floor. Their accommodations were about the same as what they had on missions: a small and barren room with nothing but a twin-sized bed and a battered dresser. A grimy window gave a glimpse of the market street they had walked through on their way here.

The silent man turned to leave without a word, but Kakashi asked, "Sorry, the bathroom is…?"

The hulking man gave a leering smile. "Communal. First floor."

Sakura's first task, she decided as Kakashi thanked their undeserving guide and closed the door, was to find a bathhouse.

They put down their bags in the corner of the room and Kakashi ran his hands up and down Sakura's arms in a soothing gesture as the woman sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest.

"I know this isn't what we wanted," he murmured into her hair, "but things will get better."

So he thought that the room was bugged. Otherwise he wouldn't bother keeping up their act behind closed doors.

"I miss home," she whispered.

His arms wrapped around her, warm and secure. "I do too, but we'll make this work. We'll be happy."

She pulled away from him slightly to see him staring affectionately down at her. She reached up to hook her fingers beneath his mask and tug it down so she could give him a soft and trusting kiss that he unhesitatingly returned. It had been a long three days on the road without his touch, and as he reached up to cup her chin she could feel a spark of arousal ignite within her.

He backed them to the bed and allowed her to crawl on top of him as he ran his hands longingly against her breasts.

"We're free," he whispered against her lips. "We don't have to hide this anymore."

She took a kunai from her thigh holster and threw it precisely at a thin crack in the plaster of the wall, striking and destroying the small camera she knew to be recording them. Kakashi gave her a quizzical look.

"We may not have to hide our relationship anymore, but you're the only person who gets to see this," she told him lowly as she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the floor.

A true grin spread across his lips as they began to further undress. This mission was going to be fun.

 

* * *

 

The first month was filled with nothing but indignation for Sakura and boredom for Kakashi. In complete disregard of her strength and talents, she had been given the job of barmaid, while Kakashi had become just another dock worker who endlessly moved crates on and off ships without being allowed to see their contents. She had broken the hands of four men who thought they could touch her ass and had thrown another out the door with nothing but her little finger when he dared inquire if all her hair was pink. After that, there were no more attempted gropings and they made sure to speak of her when she was out of earshot.

While the logic of "has tits, must serve drinks" was enraging, she couldn't deny that it was serving their mission well. It seemed that most clients came to meet Mifune through the bar, and so she was able to learn more about who they were doing business with. Kakashi, who spent his days in the warehouse listening to the other workers and surreptitiously learning the contents of the crates, was able to ascertain more of the organization's connections and goods. So far, it seemed to be a rather tame operation. Banned cigars from the continent beyond the Land of Waves, marijuana, and liquor seemed to be what they dealt with the most.

However, neither ninja was satisfied. They knew that Mifune was keeping a close eye on them. There had been two bugs in their room—one of which Sakura destroyed on their first night. The other was an audio-only mic that was hidden quite expertly in the ceiling. If not for Kakashi's lightning affinity and experience rooting out bugs, he would likely have overlooked it. They had decided to play dumb and allow it to record them as they kept up their act of lovers 24/7. Whoever had placed that bug there had known what they were doing, and the two of them suspected that this crime syndicate was employing other skilled ninja. It was best to let the targets believe that their ninja had fooled them while building up belief in their cover story.

Whoever this skilled ninja was, he or she was nowhere in the vicinity currently and neither Sakura nor Kakashi had heard mention of them from the men's chatter. While it was possible that the shinobi had been dispatched on a mission, it was more likely that Mifune Enterprises was only a cog in a well-oiled transnational machine. Mifune himself didn't command the authority necessary for such an operation, and so the two assumed that he was only a shateigashira, the leader of this band of thugs that was relatively low on the chain of command of the overall organization.

Sakura and Kakashi were called into Mifune's office on a Thursday evening and they stood before his desk as he smiled at him from his leather chair.

"My two new hires, hello," he greeted warmly. "How are you liking it here so far?"

Sakura gave a noncommittal grunt and Kakashi said much more diplomatically, "We are adding even more skills to our repertoire, thanks to your generosity."

"The bar has never been cleaner," Mifune said with an appreciative nod in Sakura's direction, "and you are surprisingly strong for your lack of muscles. But the reason I called you here was that I was wondering if you'd like to help me with a little thorn in my side."

"Thorn removal is one of our specialties," the Copy Nin noted.

Mifune grinned. "I'm aware. There is another rival business, Yotsuba Trading. They're based in the Land of Waves and they're pushing prices that are harming our business. I want you to destroy their ships."

Sakura cracked her knuckles, excited for the chance to do something other than mop floors and pour beers. "Would you like subtlety or a show?"

"Oh, a show, naturally," their boss said, his smile growing. "They'll be getting a fresh shipment of goods from Fire Country tomorrow night. They'll leave the product on the boats overnight, and that's when I want you to strike."

Sakura nodded. "Understood. When do you want me to leave?"

Mifune's smile faded to a look of unease as he took in the kunoichi's prepared look. "I'm not exactly sure this is a task suited for a lady like yourself."

Kakashi gave a soft snort, either at the fact that Mifune thought Sakura couldn't handle this task or the fact that Mifune thought she was a lady.

"Mifune-sama, I actually feel that Sakura is the best suited for this mission," he said. "Demolition is something of a specialty of hers. And with the way you and the other men are prone to overlook her abilities, I'm sure the target will as well."

The man behind the desk still seemed to have misgivings about the situation, but said, "Well, I'm not a ninja. You people know better than I do how to go about this. Sakura, you'll leave for Waves on the cargo ship leaving at sunrise tomorrow morning. Kakashi, you'll continue your usual duties."

Sakura couldn't help but gloat just the littlest bit. She was getting to go do something fun while he continued pushing boxes around like an ox.

Though in actuality, the two of them were pleased. Mifune entrusting them with this task meant that he was beginning to believe their cover. The more missions they completed for him, the more comfortable he would become with revealing the intel they had come hunting for. This was a big step toward completing the mission objective.

The two of them bowed and then headed back to their room where they fetched a clean change of clothes and their toiletries to head to a bathhouse a few blocks away.

"Are you jealous?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips as she handed him his towel.

"Of being stuck on a ship with a bunch of these oafs for hours and then ruining tens of people's livelihoods with your fists alone? Oh yes, terribly."

Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew that he was bored to tears.

"Actually, I'm probably going to have some downtime on the boat," she realized. "Mind if I borrow Icha Icha? I'll need something to do."

He wasn't allowed to do anything other than work from sunup to sundown and Sakura was fairly sure he was going through withdrawal. Though his mask was up she could practically see his sour frown. "No."

With a laugh she took the hand that wasn't holding his bathing goods and tugged him out the door. He didn't put up a fight.

"They must've gotten word that our story is true," Sakura said as they wove through the busy market.

"Mm. With any luck we'll be moving up in the ranks before long. I hate the smell of the pier."

"We should celebrate and eat something decent tonight. Let's go to a restaurant."

Most nights they just grabbed something from one of the vendors, and while Kakashi was content with some grilled fish and rice, the medic in Sakura couldn't help but think of all the nutrients their diet was deficient of. Also, she had doubts that the bacon in her yakisoba was actually bacon.

"Sure," he agreed as he gave a few coins to the woman behind the counter of the bathhouse.

It was when they reached the end of the foyer and came to the doors for men and women that Sakura realized they were still holding hands. Surprised with herself, she let go and muttered a hasty "see you" before darting through the doors.

She knew that it was silly to feel abashed about holding hands with the man she was sleeping regularly with, yet she couldn't get rid of the flush in her cheeks. Fucking was just a joining of flesh and a mutual search for pleasure, but holding hands was a sign of affection and interdependence. It was one thing for him to take her hand while around Mifune and his men as it was part of their role, but it was another entirely to forget the fact that his strong, calloused fingers were knit with hers for a full ten minutes.

She doused herself with refreshingly hot water and began shampooing her long pink locks, scrubbing a bit harder than perhaps necessary.

Sakura was perpetually cognizant of the fact that they were on a mission. The objectives were always at the forefront of her mind and she was constantly thinking of ways to meet them, just as Kakashi undoubtedly was. In that regard, the two of them were unchanged.

But it was due to this industriousness that it had been seventeen days since they had begun this ruse of lovers and they had yet to let down their act for even a moment. No matter how often she told herself that Kakashi's caresses and smiles were as much a lie as hers were, her mind was beginning to doubt. There was no camera in their room that she had been able to detect, so even though technically sweet nothings would have sufficed once they were behind closed doors, he continued to smile and laugh and hold her to him as they slept as if her rightful place was in his arms.

Sometimes when Sakura woke up to his unguarded and languid grin she was filled with something so dangerously pleasant that she had no choice other than blow a raspberry in his face and push away from him.

Of course, this usually just amused him and the next thing either of them knew he was sliding inside her in an act that was becoming more natural and habitual with each shuddering release they gave each other.

She had to be more careful with her emotions. She couldn't let her silly mind be fooled by Kakashi's brilliant act. In this great big world, he was the one person she could rely on for anything. She would sooner take a kunai to the heart than ruin their friendship.

After having a relaxing sit in the baths she toweled off and got dressed in her casual clothes of a mint-green yukata that matched her eyes perfectly. Kakashi was waiting for her on the benches in the foyer in his standard garb of eyepatch, mask, black turtleneck, and black trousers, his nose stuffed in his book.

"Yo," he greeted without looking up when she came to stand before him.

"It's cold out," she said with a frown. "You'll get sick if you go out with wet hair."

She tousled his moist locks with her towel and surprise flitted over his features for a split second before he smiled. "You're so sweet to think of this old man's health."

"Yeah, well—" She was definitely rubbing way harder than necessary and his shoulders scrunched together in protest. "—I left my whole life behind to be with you. If something happens to you it'll all have been for nothing."

"Right," he said, and when she ceased her ministrations his silver hair was even wilder than usual. He ran his fingers through it to tame it somewhat before clapping his book shut and rising. "Let's grab dinner. I'm starving."

They went to a pasta place where Sakura could have something leafy and green and he could suffer through something that wasn't Japanese. He bemoaned her cruelty the entire time. It was just like any other mission.

Back in their room they changed into pajamas and got under the blankets together. Being late fall made the nighttime air cold enough, but the bay brought cold ocean breezes to shore as well that the old walls did little to insulate against.

Kakashi lay on his side so he could put an arm around her waist. It was alarming just how ordinary it had come to be to feel his soft exhales in her hair and his hand on her skin. She gave him a kiss on the collarbone.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so much for reading, everyone! I took the advice of a reader and added a boatload of tags tonight, so here's hoping even more people stumble across this. Thank you as well to my beta, La Moonlight Lily (from FF). Head over there and check her work out--she's amazing!
> 
> I know, this chapter isn't as steamy as the previous one, but I needed to set up this mission arc. And to make up for it, my favorite lemon in this story (so far) is in the next chapter, so stay tuned. Follow, bookmark, comment, and all that jazz if you'd like! (^_-)ノ


	10. When No One Is Looking

The following morning, Sakura awoke with eagerness. She lifted up Kakashi's arm around her to slide out of the bed as he gave a sleepy sigh and rubbed his eyes. She combed her long hair into her standard half-ponytail and put on her red dress. Though it was unlikely she would need them, she put some kunai and exploding tags in her thigh holsters. Lastly, she bit down on her finger hard enough to draw blood and made a few seals to summon a small portion of Katsuyu. The slug was shorter than her pinky and looked up at her from the palm of her hand, where it then divided into two smaller slugs. She placed one on the nape of her neck where her long hair would conceal it and put the other on Kakashi's head.

He grimaced at the cold and slimy trespasser. "Why couldn't you have chosen a cuter summons like dogs? It's not too late, you know. Bisuke just had puppies a few months ago."

She smiled. He could complain about Katsuyu's uncuteness all he wanted to, but he could never deny that she was one of the most useful summons possible. So long as he had one portion and she another, they could relay information to each other freely. Though she wasn't expecting any trouble with tonight's operation, she'd be a fool not to take precautions.

Kakashi was sitting up now and heaving another long yawn as he hid his slug beneath his turtleneck. Taking in his toned chest and the understated grace he moved with as he prepared for the day, Sakura was amazed with her luck. From the rumors, there weren't many women who got to know Hatake Kakashi in the biblical sense, and there were even fewer who got to see his strong cheekbones and easy smile.

Mentally she shook herself. She was to be down at the docks in five minutes. But just as her fingertips fell upon the doorknob he said her name.

"Yes?"

She turned back to see him staring at her earnestly. "Be careful."

"Of course," she said with a laugh, and then she left him.

The cargo ship to the Land of Waves was unpleasant to say the least. Surrounded by smelly, leering men who were displeased at having to fare a woman to their destination, Sakura chose to clamber into the crow's nest where she could get away from them and enjoy the sight of the open ocean. With Konoha being inland, it wasn't all that often that she got to take in the sea.

She also used the time to check in on Kakashi via Katsuyu, who reported that he was having a wonderful time being a human pack mule back at the warehouse.

The voyage was uneventful and she disembarked in the port city of Shirahama. She had about four hours to kill until nightfall and chose to spend the day investigating the company she was to sabotage later. Though she wasn't able to uncover much in that short amount of time, disguising herself and loitering around their base of operations showed that they were certainly engaging in some manner of illegal business judged by the overall secrecy of the place. Guards were posted outside their "offices" and what she could make out from the small windows there appeared to be an awful lot of accountants for such a small business.

When finally all of the dock workers went home and there was nothing but some civilian guards patrolling the many boats in the harbor, Sakura made her move. Using her chakra she walked on top of the water, sticking to the walls of the pier so she wouldn't be spotted by the patrolmen. Really, civilians were just so boring. There was no challenge at all.

Her target was two large wooden ships docked beside one another. It was no problem to use her chakra to walk up the barnacle-encrusted walls and onto the deck. There were two men playing cards by lantern light towards the starboard side and Sakura sank into a crouch behind some crates to hide from their view.

She hadn't been told that the ships would be guarded. Generally the patrol was enough to ease the concerns of most businesses who left cargo on the boats overnight. Either the Yotsuba business didn't trust the patrol or there was something particularly valuable onboard.

Taking a leaf out of Shizune's book, Sakura kneaded her chakra, sifting and focusing it until it had reached the perfect consistency. She drew in a deep breath of the cold, salty air and then cupped her hands like a funnel around her lips before exhaling. An odorless, colorless gas left her mouth and, directed by her chakra, headed straight for the two unwitting men. Upon inhalation they slumped over in a comatose state they would remain in for at least the next twelve hours. Unsure of whether the guards on each boat were supposed to communicate with each other and at what interval they would, Sakura leapt over the side to land soundlessly in the water and dash over to the neighboring ship twenty yards away where she incapacitated the two guards in the same manner.

Next she fetched one of the lifeboats and lowered it quietly into the water. The waves lapping at the pier coupled with the creaks of corrugated steel and flaps of canvas sails masked the heavy  _thunk_ s of each guard she tossed down into the lifeboats.

Now she could get on with her business. Sakura headed down to the cargo bay of one ship to find row upon row of large wooden crates. They were unlabeled and extremely heavy, but with a few tugs of her chakra-laced fingers she had prized the top off one.

Inside were...limes? Sakura blinked and picked up one of the innocuous green fruits, holding it closer to see better in the low light. It looked, felt, and smelled like the citrus. But if this whole ship was full of nothing but produce, why was it guarded?

She used a kunai to cut it open and was startled when a white powder poured out and onto her hand. A whiff and tentative lick confirmed that it was opium. This single crate alone had at least five hundred limes inside it, and it was one of nearly a hundred. She was likely surrounded by over a hundred million ryo in illicit drugs.

Opening a few more crates on both ships revealed similar contents. Destroying these two ships and their cargo would only invite trouble and Sakura wondered if Mifune was aware of exactly what he had asked her to do. Unless he had backup from whoever he reported to, Mitsuba would crush him for this.

She could worry about that later, though. For now, she just had to worry about blasting these two boats to smithereens.

Sakura set about the task with the methodical precision of a surgeon laying out tools before an operation. She began by placing strategically aimed punches all over the hull, creating weak points in the structure that would ensure maximum destruction when she delivered the final strike. After nearly an hour, she deemed her preparations complete and returned to stand on the water between the two ships.

Now for the fun part.

Sakura packed an incredible amount of chakra into her right hand and formed it into a fist. Grinning, she hit the hull of the ship with all of her might and she watched as with a mighty explosion it was reduced to nothing but boards and splinters that rained down like confetti. Not missing a beat, she sprinted across the water to the other ship and delivered one more tremendous blow, and just like that the remnants of the ships and their cargo sank into the harbor.

There were yells immediately from the pier as the patrolmen saw and heard the conflagration. Sakura created a few water clones and sent them in various directions to confuse the civilians as she herself began making a beeline across the ocean and back to Mifune Enterprises.

It was a shame that Mifune hadn't been there to see it. Maybe if he had, he would finally stop thinking that Sakura was just Kakashi's pretty little squeeze. Alas, all of her coolest moments happened when no one was looking.

"Sakura-sama."

Katsuyu had slithered out from her hiding place on the back of her neck and onto her shoulder so Sakura could turn to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Kakashi-san would like to know if you are safe."

"Yes. Tell him I just kicked ass and I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Very well."

Sakura focused on the ever-undulating waves beneath her feet and the starry night above her as she ran. In no time Shirahama was but a speck behind her and she was nearing Erimo, whose lights began to vie for attention with the stars.

It was hard to believe that just ten short years ago she was barely out of the Academy and just learning how to walk up trees. She thought back to that night and how she had perched on a tall branch as she watched Naruto and Sasuke race to master the skill over the other. How they had all changed since then…

Unbidden, her mind paused on Sasuke's youthful face and she marveled at how little the darkness had tainted him at that point. Out of the three of them, it had been the Uchiha who had undergone the most dramatic changes. From cold and aloof to insane and murderous to….

Sakura didn't have a word for what he was now. Repentant? She snorted. He would have everyone believe that—that his choice to wander the world like Jiraiya in search of dangers to Konoha was made out of atonement.

But Sakura knew better.

At some point along his meandering path towards self-destruction, something had burrowed deep inside him and eaten out his heart. What was left now was carefully manufactured and meted sentiment he peddled to all who would buy his wares. It seemed that everyone but Sakura fell for it, and she was content to allow them to believe that he had returned to them whole. It was easier for them to believe that their sacrifices had been worth it.

Of course, there had been a time when Sakura had fallen prey to his words too…

The kunoichi froze mid-step in the middle of the ocean and forcibly shook her head. She had sworn not to think of that day ever again.

With nothing else to distract her in the open night, all she could do was begin reciting all of the bones in the body from head to toe as she started running just a little faster than before. Despite herself she yearned to be out of the cold and in the cozy bed of their rundown room.

She had moved on to naming all of the muscles under her breath as she leapt onto the docks, through the streets, and into their lodgings. Up the stairs Sakura trudged and into their room where Kakashi was sitting on the bed reading. His gaze was sharp as he took in her wet and filthy visage, and his shoulders relaxed into their usual slouch when he saw that she was uninjured and whole.

"You're not getting into bed looking like that," he told her as she closed the door behind her and began picking out splinters from her hair.

"Oh, bite me," she muttered with a bit more vitriol than the situation called for.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in mute surprise and then rose to his feet to grab both of their shower items. When she gave him a bewildered scowl he just said, "A pretty girl like you walking the streets alone at this hour? I can't abide by it."

It was incredible how he could say just a few words and diffuse her rage. She took the purple plastic basin full of shampoo and soap and a towel, and when her hands fell on top of his she didn't move them away.

"Thank you," she said, sincerely.

He just smiled and opened the door before offering her his hand. She didn't even think before accepting it. It didn't seem anatomically possible that her much shorter fingers could mesh so neatly with his longer ones, yet it felt as though they were made for each other.

It was nearly three in the morning and the vendors had all gone home for the day, leaving the two ninja to walk down the empty street in silence.

"How was it?" he asked quietly.

"Went off without a hitch. When I destroyed the ships I also destroyed about ten tons of limes as well."

"That's intriguing. We seem to get quite a few shipments of produce too."

Sakura smiled. She would send Katsuyu to the Hokage tomorrow to give her an update of the mission. Her shishou would no doubt be pleased that they were finally starting to make some headway.

The two of them parted ways at the men's and women's entrances to the baths and while usually Sakura made a habit out of relaxing in the hot water after such a prolonged expenditure of chakra, this time she didn't dally. It was a different heat she craved tonight.

If Kakashi noticed the speediness with which she exited the baths, he didn't comment on it. He just walked back to their room beside her, reading his book.

The very moment Kakashi had closed the door behind them Sakura was upon him, lavishing him with a downright ravenous kiss. Unflappable, he put his shower goods on top of the dresser beside them along with hers and then turned off the lights as he snaked an arm around her.

In a few moments he had untied her white obi so her yukata spilled open to reveal her bare body in its entirely. He bit his lip as he took in her lithe form bathed in the moonlight that poured through the window behind her.

"You're a work of art," he breathed, reverently tracing the curves of her breasts and hips.

Sakura blushed in delight as she tugged down his pants and boxers to reveal his achingly hard manhood. Though she had become intimately familiar with it weeks ago, she was still taken aback each time by its perfection. Just looking at it and feeling its paradoxically silky smootheness was enough to make her squeeze her thighs together unconsciously.

"I need you," she whispered to him. "I've been thinking about it all day."

She could hear the dark smirk in his voice as he said, "Oh? And what did you imagine us doing?"

Sakura put a hand on his chest and shoved him lightly onto the bed so she could crawl on top of him. Straddling his hips as she was allowed his cock to slide against her wet pussy and the two of them let out soft sighs at the teasing contact. Those rough hands of his were cycling between caressing her thighs and squeezing her hips in an entreaty for more as she rocked against him.

"I imagined me riding your cock hard and fast," she said in a breath as she quickened her pace and he squeezed his eyes shut in bliss. "Of fucking you until you came inside me."

She was familiar enough with how they fit together now that she didn't have to take her gaze off his face to position him at her waiting entrance. His cock seared her in the most glorious way as she impaled herself on him. He filled her completely, leaving her wanting for nothing and everything all at once. With a soft gasp he dug his fingers into her hips, beseeching her to move with small thrusts of his own.

Sakura wasted no time in setting a gruelling pace that had the both of them gasping and clutching desperately at each other lest they be blown away by the strength of their desire. She continued her confession to him even as she continued to fuck him ruthlessly. "I thought of you filling me with your cum and then fucking me again." At this he bit back a groan and began rolling his hips up to meet hers desperately. Sakura's smile was purely devious as he drove into her core and hit that one spot deep inside that made her shiver. "Can you imagine that, Kakashi-sensei? Fucking me when my tight little pussy is still dripping with your cum? How easily your cock would slide in and out? The sound it would make?"

"Shit, Sakura," he groaned and pulled her down to him to give her a kiss that was as crazed as it was tender. His every touch, his every sound set her on fire, and the rawness of his kiss left her scorched and panting as she lost her fingers in his wild silver mane.

They had reached the point of no return, where the passion pooling inside them was set to break the levy and overrun their reason. Their bodies took over and began striking a beat older than time and Sakura relished the way Kakashi hissed her name like a curse as he squeezed her ass and met her thrust for thrust.

A few moments of this perfection proved more than the both of them could bear, and with a cry and gasp they found their release as they held on to each other. Sakura thought there was no better sensation in the world than Kakashi's seed spurting hot and thick inside her as her walls trembled around him.

But she was proven wrong when, still hard, he began moving again after a few moments of catching their breath. His small, gentle thrusts were awakening her arousal once more. She still had yet to return to reality from the clutches of her orgasm just a minute ago but she tugged on his hair longingly as she murmured his name in wonder.

With a calm and collection he usually lacked between the sheets, Kakashi continued his languid ministrations, two strong hands at her waist to keep her planted exactly where he wanted her on top of him. Each small movement was punctuated by a wet sound so erotic it was surely outlawed in the Five Nations, and Sakura found herself holding her breath so she could not only feel but also hear his cock sliding in and out of her.

"I've been thinking about this too," he whispered into her ear. "Thinking of how when you came home to me I'd make love to you just like this. Slow and deep."

His baritone coupled with the sound of him fucking her cum-filled pussy was the single hottest moment of Sakura's entire life.

"You have no idea how  _good_  it feels to be inside you," he continued in a hoarse murmur. "We could do this three times a day and it still wouldn't be enough to sate me."

His motions didn't change in speed, but he began to occasionally enter her to the hilt and roll his hips against hers, allowing him to truly feel every inch of her core. Sakura shuddered and planted a loving open-mouthed kiss on his neck. Each time he buried himself within her he buried a seed that bloomed into a tingling heat that threatened to undo her.

Sakura had always envisioned herself as the kind of girl who preferred hard and fast over soft and slow, but the steadily building pleasure within her begged to differ. For the first time she was content to simply enjoy the feel of his body meeting hers, of the way her nipples brushed against his chest with each movement of his hips and the way his fingers trembled.

"Come for me," he commanded. "Let me feel you lose control."

His gentle movements were suddenly punctuated by a complete withdrawal and powerful surge that was so unexpected she cried out. He resumed his calm and soft half-thrusts immediately, leaving her panting and desperate for more.

"C'mon," he urged, and pounded into her once more.

The ecstasy skyrocketed within her at the suddenness and ferocity and she said his name beggingly, though what she was begging for she wasn't sure.

Again he rammed deep inside her and she heaved a broken sob.

"What will it take to make you cum?" Kakashi whispered. "To make you say my name as you squeeze down on this cock?"

When he did it again it was all Sakura could do to hold her sanity together. He had pushed her to the brink. Just once more—once more and she would be flung over the edge and into that ocean of pleasure she longed for.

"Please, Kakashi-sensei," she pled. "Again, again."

The restraint he had maintained so dutifully collapsed at her words and he set a rhythm that was as ruthless as it was flawless. He fucked her hard enough to bruise, driving into her with such ferocity that she thought for sure that he would break her in the best way possible.

It took only three thrusts for her to come undone and with an unfettered moan she came harder than ever before. White flashed before her eyes as her entire body shook and trembled, ecstasy encompassing her from head to toe. He swore as her cunt clenched down on him hard enough to nearly root him to the spot, and after a few more rolls of his hips he was filling her once more with his seed.

The two of them were too spent and too enraptured to do anything other than pant and hold each other in the aftermath. After a few minutes, when their breaths and hearts slowed, Kakashi pulled out of her with a wet, sticky sound and she could feel his semen drip out and down her leg.

She didn't want to move from her place on top of him, and she was so exhausted that she wasn't sure that she could. But she forced herself to roll to his side so she could rest her head in the crook of his shoulder and put an arm around his waist. His hand wrapped around her to rest on her hip and he pressed a tired kiss to her forehead.

Basking in the warm afterglow, it was easy for Sakura to pretend that this could continue forever, that every night they would be able to sleep in the arms of her best friend feeling sated and safe.

* * *

The following morning Sakura awoke with a pleasant ache between her legs and a warm body at her side. Kakashi was already up and fixing her with an unreadable expression.

"Morning," she greeted.

"Mm." Something that looked like discomfort crossed his features and he asked, "Are you alright?"

Sakura stretched her legs by wrapping them around his thigh and then smiled. "Sometimes I like feeling sore. Gives me a reminder of how good it was."

"I'm not talking about that. You seemed upset when you came home last night."

She frowned and tried to bury her face in his chest, letting her long hair obscure her face. She had been hoping that he would forget it, but Hatake Kakashi never forgot anything. "It's nothing. I don't want to talk about it."

He ignored her. "Was it something to do with Mifune-sama's task?"

"No," she ground out. "Kakashi, just drop it."

But he was relentless, and his fingers ran up her arm with uncharacteristic hesitance as he asked, "Is it to do with us?"

She shot him a bewildered look. Here in their bugged room they were confined to their roles of forbidden lovers, but the doubt in his dark gaze was real. Was he adding another dimension to their scripted relationship for the sake of whomever was listening in on them? Or was he also realizing their boundaries were becoming more blurred with each night they slept in each other's arms?

Sakura thought over her next words long and hard. "Back in the village, where we had to sneak around to be together, our relationship felt more like some sort of clandestine tryst. A game, a way to kill distractions. But now that I'm here with you, away from them all, it's so much more real."

"And that makes you uncomfortable," he surmised.

Sakura didn't know how to respond to that. Was it unnerving that she found her former teacher and current partner so irresistible on every level? Incredibly. But did she want this to stop? Never. Even if she knew that his affection was all for show, she had grown so hungry for it that its authenticity no longer mattered.

She just opened and closed her mouth dumbly, unable to say the truth, and a hard look of realization settled on his brow.

The next moment, she was jostled slightly as he disentangled himself from her and got out of bed. She watched as he slipped on his rumpled boxers and trousers, and the cold of the room began to creep under the blankets and into her chest.

A part of Sakura couldn't help but feel that she had made a grave mistake just now, yet she dared not correct it. As much as she craved Kakashi, she knew that they were only two weeks in to what could be a months-long mission. They had to take a step back. They had promised each other to keep their hearts out of the game and they owed it to each other to stay true.

Besides, a little hurt now would save them from a world of pain later.

"We should go speak with Mifune-sama," he said plainly, and tossed her clothes on the bed. "Get dressed."

She did as told, and he turned around to give her her privacy as she dressed. He hadn't afforded her such a kindness in weeks.

Once she was ready to go, he opened the door and headed out without giving her a backwards glance. Her heart clenched unpleasantly at the cold shoulder but she forced herself to shake it off. She had endured years of being ignored by the people she cared for.

Mifune was waiting in his office, sipping a coffee and reading the newspaper with a mile-wide smile.

He folded the paper and tossed it towards Sakura, who caught it easily and read the front page headline. "MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSION OF TWO CARGO SHIPS IN SHIRAHAMA" was followed by a full page and a half of speculation and pictures of the splintered wreckage.

Mifune beamed up at her. "I have to admit, I was worried to send you. But you have completely erased all of my doubts. With this, Mitsuba Trading is destroyed and I have your hard work to thank. I think it's time you two were promoted."

"Thank you, Mifune-sama," the two of them said as they bowed in unison.

Their boss waved away their thanks. "There's a business partner of mine that's been having some problems with his ships getting commandeered by a band of thugs that fancy themselves buccaneers. I want you two to meet with him and see if you can't help him with this matter."

More than likely, this "business partner" was another small organization like Mifune's that was a part of the syndicate. Sakura and Kakashi eagerly agreed, inwardly thrilled. They would be gaining much needed intel and they'd be done with grunt work.

"When would you like us to meet with them?" Kakashi asked.

"Today, in an hour here in my office. Go treat yourselves to a fine breakfast in the meantime. You've earned it." Mifune offered them a fat coin purse that Sakura accepted. "And how did you manage to destroy those ships?"

She grinned. "I punched them."

Most people probably would have felt fear upon seeing that deviant smile, but Mifune just tossed his head back and gave a booming laugh. "Fine, keep your secrets to yourself."

Her grin turned to a scowl. So he didn't believe that she could punch something into splinters? She'd give him a demonstration right here, right now.

But Kakashi's hand was on her shoulder and twirling her around toward the door before she could get them fired. "We'll be back soon," he said to their boss.

Sakura gave a disgruntled huff as he all but pushed her out of Mifune's office with a hand on the small of her back. Before he would have kept it there, but now he dropped it back to his side the moment the door had closed.

She told herself it didn't bother her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for sticking around and reading. I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter! I'm always looking for ways to improve, so feel free to leave me some critiques. Of course, I won't object if you shower me with praise though. (*^^*)


	11. High Sea High Jinks

The two of them chose to save their money instead and got something from the vendors on the market street. Sakura ate a stick of pineapple as Kakashi scarfed down takoyaki in the blink of an eye and read.

The meeting with the associate proved interesting. A balding man in his fifties with a want for nothing judging by his protruding gut and fine white suit, the owner of Minami Exports seemed a grade above Mifune. His operations were on a grander scale, commanding a fleet of over sixty ships that had did business with the Land of Waves, the continent beyond there, and Lightning. For the past two months their shipments to the far continent had been intercepted and pillaged by a band of pirates calling themselves Akashio, or Red Tide. Minami suspected that they were based on one of the smaller islands in Waves where law enforcement was lax and he was willing to pay Sakura and Kakashi a hefty sum to crush them. Naturally the two ninja accepted and made preparations to set out with a decoy ship the next morning.

"This is going to be so much fun," Sakura grinned as she inspected her kunai and scrolls on the bed.

Kakashi didn't look up from sharpening his saber on the floor. "Yes, but we need to be on our guard. It's likely that they've got at least one or two rogue ninja."

"Yes, yes," she said impatiently. "It's been awhile since we've had any action."

Her partner's hand stilled for a moment and then he resumed carefully whetting the blade with a special stone smaller than his pinky nail. Upon losing the Sharingan and becoming unable to use the Raikiri, he had started using his father's tanto once more.

"Sometimes I think I'd like to learn how to use a sword," Sakura commented off-handedly.

"Mm, it's not exactly your style though."

"What is my style?"

"Brute force and intimidation."

Sakura's expression turned sour. "Sasuke is both of those things and he has a sword."

"Yes, but he also has a certain sort of grace about him."

"I'm graceful too!" she objected.

"Oh, yes," he said seriously. "You have all the grace of a rhinoceros on ice."

"I'll show you grace," Sakura snarled, and she barreled toward him.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that the porn-reading, serially late man before her was actually one of the most powerful ninja in all of the Five Nations. But when he managed to sheathe the blade, rest it at his side, intercept Sakura with one hand on her outstretched wrist and another on her waist, and swirl them around so he wound up laying on top of her in a matter of moments, she was reminded all too well of his elite status.

There was something incredibly hot about how he could overwhelm her in the blink of an eye like this. Sakura squirmed a bit against him and he slid between her spread legs like he belonged there.

The look in Kakashi's deep brown eyes was part-amused and part something Sakura couldn't name.

"Well?" he said softly. "Where's this grace?"

He was testing her. Seeing if she really wanted to distance herself from him. Already she could feel the welcome heat of arousal growing within her, but she knew that she had to do what was right.

That didn't mean she couldn't have a bit of fun first, though.

With a promising smile she brought her hands up to dance along his arms, neck, and to the hem of his mask. She pulled it down slowly to reveal the stupidly fetching beauty mark just beneath and to the right of his stupidly winsome smirk. Teasingly she drew closer, so close that she could feel his soft exhalations against her own lips.

And then she dragged her tongue up his chin, lips, and nose to leave a slathering, messy trail of spit in her wake.

She had never seen Kakashi look more betrayed than he did as he sat up and backed away from her. Sakura dissolved into a wild frenzy of giggles while he wiped at her drool with a grimace.

"Cute," was all he said in a tone that made it very clear he did not, in fact, find her antics cute. "You could give Bull a run for his money."

The tension from earlier was gone and in its place both of them were smiling, and in that instant Sakura was glad to the bottom of her heart that they could still have these moments. They were friends first and lovers second.

Once their preparations were done they tucked into bed. They tried sleeping with their backs to one another as they had in previous missions when they still maintained professional boundaries, but after a few minutes of feeling the other's heat against them the longing proved too much.

Without saying a word they rolled around in unison and Kakashi rested his head in the crook of her shoulder as he put an arm around her. Sakura mussed his already wild hair and the two quickly dozed off.

Well, she thought to herself, this sort of companionship was within the realm of friendship, wasn't it?

* * *

Kakashi roused her when the world was still dark and somber. A bitter cold had infiltrated the room while they slept and Sakura was reluctant to get out from under the blankets, but her partner coaxed her out by dangling some dango before her like a carrot for a horse.

She wished she could say she resisted his stupid ploy. Instead, she rushed across the room to take the sticky treat and ate it, shivering.

He gave her a smile and took a seat on the bed to wait for her, as he was already set. Sometimes Sakura wondered if the reason he was so lazy off-duty was because he was storing all of his energy for missions. There was no other logical explanation for the complete one-eighty.

Before long they headed to Minami Exports, where Minami himself greeted them and walked them aboard the cargo ship that had been prepared for them. Usually the hold would be filled to the brim with goods bound for the continent beyond Wave, but today it was filled with sandbags. A ship without cargo would have less displacement, making it sit higher in the water, so in order to make nothing seem out of the ordinary tot the pirates they had filled it with an amount of sand proportionate to the usual cargo. The standard number of eighteen crew members would be sailing with them as well while the two ninja would be stowed away amidst the sand until the time was right.

The crew seemed jittery as they boarded and made preparations to sail, and Sakura supposed they had every right to feel so. They knew that the last three ships on this route had been boarded and ransacked and the crew had been killed, and though today they had two ninja faring with them, morale was low.

Her sleeveless dress with short skirt would prove much too cold out on the ocean, so she had put on a long-sleeved black undershirt beneath it to provide a little extra warmth. Perched on top of a large box of sand with her knees pulled up to her chest, she drummed her fingers boredly against her calves. Kakashi stretched out on two boxes, turning pages lazily. To look at him one would think they were on a cruise. Sakura was bored out of her mind and took to her newest hobby to pass the time.

Kakashi shot her a slightly amused look. "Still working on Wood Release?"

She just gritted her teeth. Tenzou-taichou had mentioned it in passing to her a few years ago— that if anyone could be the first to successfully use Wood Release without a kekkei genkai it would be Sakura, whose two primary releases were Earth and Water and who had the best chakra control in all of Konoha and perhaps beyond. He had warned her that it was likely impossible, but that hadn't stopped her from trying. Tenzou wouldn't be around forever and unless he had children the art would die with him. Besides, Sakura liked the notion of being able to save lives by healing and creating life through the Wood Release.

Though it was fraught with difficulties. A Mokuton user put Earth chakra in one hand and Water in another in perfect proportions in order to cast jutsu. A regular ninja could only summon one type of chakra at a time. Therefore, Sakura had developed a series of steps that would likely take years to complete in order to reach that goal. Firstly, she had designated Earth chakra to the right half of her body and Water to her left. Though she couldn't yet use them in tandem, simply separating her chakra outputs as such would aid her later.

Currently, she was working on becoming adept at one-handed releases. This in itself was an incredibly difficult feat, and yet it was one of the easiest in her plan. Once she had mastered one-handed releases, she would then have to master simultaneous releases. This was where even Tsunade-shishou had looked at her like she had lost her mind and point-blank laughed in her face. No ninja had ever been capable of such a thing. But Sakura was as resourceful as she was bull-headed. She wouldn't be deterred.

And once she had managed simultaneous jutsu in Earth and Water releases, she would be ready to cast Wood Release.

In theory.

At the moment, Sakura was kneading her chakra and attempting a simple Body Replacement Technique with her right hand alone. She had been working at this for two years now and still had yet to manage it, but she knew she was getting close. The reason one-handed jutsu was difficult was that the same amount of chakra that usually went into two hands instead was going into one. It was a little like taking a futon out of a closet and trying to cram it into a shoebox.

But Sakura had always been gifted at this. She didn't know how long it would take, but she knew that she would eventually manage it, if only to spite the naysayers.

Upon finishing the final hand seal her body flickered, as did the bundle of rope a few feet from her, but neither of them had moved more than several inches. Sakura groaned and tried again.

"You're getting better," Kakashi noted. "A few months ago you couldn't move anything."

Sakura was seldom averse to honest praise and offered him a smile before resuming her efforts.

This time, she and the rope met in the center of the hull and she leapt up and down with an excited cry. Kakashi gave her a couple lacklustre claps, which could have been considered a standing ovation by his standards. There was pride in his eyes as he looked down on her from his perch on the tall stack of crates.

Sakura put the rope back on the other side of the room and went back to her starting position to try again, but she froze in the middle of the seals when she heard an odd whistling sound.

It was the only warning they had before a cannonball ripped through the hull with a tremendous crash. It had been toward the stern and therefore Sakura and Kakashi were uninjured, though covered in bits of wood and sand. Water was gushing in and they could hear the whistle of another incoming ball above the frantic yells of the crew above.

"To the deck," Kakashi said, and the two of them rushed up the stairs and threw the hatch open to emerge in utter chaos as another cannonball hurtled through the hull.

A knot off starboard was a galleon not dissimilar to their own, only this one sported three cannons on the deck and men were bustling back and forth to ready another volley as a smaller boat full of marauders quickly steered toward them.

"We're going to sink," Kakashi shouted to the crew. "Get on the lifeboats and head for Wave— we'll draw the fire off you. Sakura, get to that ship and take out those cannons."

"Roger!" And the kunoichi vaulted over the side of the boat to land lithely on the churning waves. She shot like a bullet across the water and to the enemy, ignoring the schooner of men with sabers and kunai. They were for Kakashi to handle.

The men on the ship could see her zooming toward them like a pink rocket and were shouting orders frantically. "Don't let that bitch board! Shoot her down!"

Sakura just smirked as she saw them ready rifles. They were weapons seldom seen on this continent, where so much jutsu made them ineffective.

Not slowing, she focused her chakra and summoned a tidal wave to rise beneath her feet and she rode it like a majestic steed. The men screamed and attempted to flee, but there was no running from the ocean and Sakura laughed as the wave crashed upon the deck, ruining their muskets and sullying the gunpowder beyond redemption. Some of the pirates were swept overboard with pitiful cries while others managed to grab hold of something, and as the boat rocked and fought desperately to withstand the force of the wave, the water receded and Sakura stood on the prow with her arms crossed, a haughty smile on her lips.

God, but she loved her job.

The more tenacious buccaneers who had miraculously not gone into the drink with her tsunami were now rushing for the lifeboats, screaming and jostling to lower them. Some were so desperate to flee that they cut the ropes with knives and leapt over to hopefully land inside. This was fine by Sakura—let them run back to their base with their tail between their legs. It would be the last time Akashio would dare tangle with Minami Enterprises if they valued their lives and livelihood.

Sakura wiped a bit of salt-water from her forehead and looked back towards their ship that was now half-submerged. The bow was tipped up towards the sky as the stern sank slowly deeper and deeper. The boat of pirates headed their way had been dispatched before they had even had time to throw ropes over the side of the ship. It was a fool's errand to trifle with a ninja with a lightning affinity when surrounded by water.

According to what Minami had told them, the pirates had never attempted to sink their ships before now. They always commandeered them to increase their own fleets. The only explanation for today's events was that they had been double-crossed. Someone had told Akashio that today's shipment would be a decoy. Which begged the question: had they also been informed that two S-Class ninja would be on board?

"You and your partner are pretty good."

Out of the captain's cabin emerged a young man who was so gangly it bordered grotesque. He was easily seven and a half feet tall and his limbs were so thin and spindly Sakura thought she wouldn't need chakra to break them like twigs. But there was a keen, assured smile on his boyish face as he took a step towards her. He was dressed in pants and a long-sleeved shirt with black and maroon stripes all across it, adding further to the deranged circus freak look.

"You sure did a lot to help your friends," Sakura said sarcastically, attempting to buy a bit of time to analyze him before he attacked. He didn't exude chakra like Naruto the powerhouse. Judging by his odd physique she was guessing that he possessed some sort of kekkei genkai she was unfamiliar with and was proficient in taijutsu.

"Yes, well. When you're hired help you tend not to care much about the other louts," he said easily. "You know how it is."

She nodded. "So Akashio hired you separately from the crew?"

"Mm. My associate and I have been asked to handle two ninja that would be on Minami's ship today. They didn't tell us it'd be two of the most sought-after ninja in the Bingo Book, though. Lucky us."

So he knew who she was and still didn't seem all that worried. Either he was stupid or very confident in his abilities. Sakura began to wonder exactly who Kakashi was up against on the sinking ship. She needed to finish this battle fast to return to him.

The most expedient method would have been poison gas. However, with the strong southerly winds there was a high chance that it would be carried to the other ship and her partner. She also would have to regulate her strength as well—they needed this ship to sail back home in. While she and Kakashi could easily walk back on the ocean surface, their crew of eighteen could not. They could always leave them to float around for a day or so…

But no. They had to have as stellar a record as possible if they were to complete their actual mission of quickly moving up in the ranks of this crime syndicate.

Sakura would just have to hope that this guy wasn't as troublesome as he looked.

She lunged at him as she sent chakra to her fist and threw a powerful kick to his knee that he easily dodged. Anticipating where he would strafe, Sakura then aimed a punch to his gut with the intent of rupturing his internal organs.

However, her fist stopped several inches short of connecting. He was like a funhouse mirror, distorted and wavy, and his chest had bent in an impossible S-shape to create a dip where her fist should have been.

"What—" Sakura began in shock.

He just grinned and she felt an arm slither around her torso like a python. Suddenly she was thrown up into the air and careening toward the mizzenmast. She would be impaled on the pole like some horribly deformed dango, but her arms were wrapped so tightly against her by his arm that she couldn't move and she couldn't inhale.

She focused her chakra to her torso, willed it to pool and build until she thought she would burst from the heat and pressure of it, and then with a shout she released it all. For the briefest of moments she glowed like a star and she felt her opponent's hold slacken on her as her chakra melted his flesh and bones.

Freed from his hold but not left with enough time to avoid the sharp point of the mizzenmast, Sakura could only gasp as it pierced through her gut and went out through her back. Gravity pulled her down until she hit against the sails and she fought to blink away the black spots suddenly crowding her vision.

A bit of diagnostic chakra revealed that her intestines had been torn through and had heavy internal bleeding. She had perhaps fifteen seconds before she would lose consciousness to the pain and then it would all be over.

It was tempting to use the seal, but she knew the dangers of it as well. Sakura had decided long ago that she would only shorten her lifespan for the sake of others and not for herself.

Instead, with a trembling hand summoned a chakra scalpel and sliced through the mizzenmast, allowing her to fall gracelessly to the deck where she collapsed in a heap. Her opponent was writhing and clutching the bleeding stub of what was once his right arm on the deck, and upon hearing her heavy  **thud**  he looked to her with a crazed hatred.

_Shit._

He was rising to his feet and his remaining arm was stretching toward her with the intent either to drag out her innards through the gaping wound in her gut or to strangle her, perhaps with her own entrails. But Sakura would be damned if she was going to let him do that.

As she sent some of her chakra to her stomach to begin healing what she could, she also poured more into her muscles and tendons, forcing them to move when the pain told her brain that it couldn't. She rose to her feet and spun in a circle as she released the scalpels she had concealed beneath her flesh.

The wet sound of tearing flesh followed by the sound of multiple body parts hitting the deck was all she needed to know that she had won. Sakura fell to her knees to focus on healing her wound as quickly as possible and looked anywhere but straight ahead of her where his blood was turning the wet deck a glistening red.

He had been young. Certainly no older than fourteen.

Kakashi had once told her that the children were always the most precious warriors to each side in a war. Unmolded and unknowing of the world, they were the perfect pawns to wage war. And when they were killed, their friends and family only grew more determined to win the war while their murderer felt twice the remorse they would normally feel when taking a life. She had grown angry at his callous remarks, but he had calmly informed her that stating a fact didn't mean that you liked it, and that no future Hokage would allow such barbary to persist.

Sakura wondered if this boy had parents or siblings. Would anyone mourn him?

Out of the blue there was a cosmic sonic boom that issued from the sinking ship and the resulting force of whatever jutsu had been cast created a tsunami that spread like a ripple with the ship as its epicenter. Sakura swore and forced herself to stand even though she was only halfway done healing. She had sealed the tear in her intestines but still had two gaping holes in her torso and had yet to drain the internal bleeding. But if she didn't stop this wave from reaching their ship it would surely capsize.

She leapt over the deck and when her chakra-packed feet hit the water she released her energy to create a tidal wave of her own that rose to battle with incoming one. The two met and clashed between both ships and canceled another out, and the entire ocean grew furious and rocked so violently that Sakura fought to steady herself.

Whatever jutsu that had been, it had been powerful. Sakura hoped that it had been Kakashi landing a finishing blow, but she couldn't know until she got closer. A hand to her stomach to assist in healing it, she ran towards his boat, which was now halfway submerged. The nearer she became the more pronounced the sounds of battle became. She could hear the crackle of Kakashi's white chakra saber and the smell of fire.

Up the hull she ran and clambered onto the deck to see Kakashi and another inconceivably flexible ninja engaged in a heated bout of close-range combat made more difficult by the steep slope of the sinking ship. The Copy Nin had a nasty-looking gash on his side and his breathing was ragged, but he was far from down and out. His opponent was a spindly older man with dark skin. The cut he sported on his leg had left him unable to move it and he was attempting to use a move similar to what had been used on Sakura, but Kakashi was too fast to be caught in his clutches. After only a few more moments the silver-haired ninja had found the opening he needed and in one precise movement had jabbed the blade between the enemy's eyes. The white chakra killed him instantly and he crumpled.

Kakashi turned to look at Sakura, who was crouched a few yards away against some crates with a hand pressed to her still open gut. His brow furrowed as he took in her sallow complexion.

"What happened?" he demanded, sheathing the sword and kneeling down beside her.

"It's nothing to worry about," she said almost honestly. "I've already healed the worst of it. Let me see that cut. You'll bleed out."

Sakura was already lifting up his shirt and laying a glowing hand over his side. All too aware that he would object if given the slightest opportunity, she began healing him before he could insist that she take care of herself first. She watched as sinew and flesh slowly but surely knit back together, like watching reversed footage of an unravelling sweater. Kakashi allowed her to heal him, but his frown only deepened with each passing moment as red blossomed out from Sakura's gut to cover her front.

"Sakura, heal yourself," he ordered.

"Can't yet," she said drowsily. The blood loss was beginning to make her head heavy. "'Nother minute and a half."

He wrenched her chakra-laden hand away from his nearly-sealed wound and rested it over her gut, a fiercely worried look on his masked face. "Sakura,  _now._ "

Reluctantly, she did as told. She would do anything to get rid of that petrified expression of his. As her torn muscles knit back together and flesh pink and new grew to cover over it, sweat began to drip down Sakura's brow and her eyes slipped shut. She had expended nearly all of her chakra.

"Kakashi," she murmured, and he grabbed her arms in the hopes that his warm touch would keep her conscious. "I'm going to pass out. Lay me on my side. I'll be fine."

"Sakura!" he yelled, shaking her lightly.

But it was no use. She had nothing left but weariness in her as she slumped over onto his chest. The last sensation she had before slipping into the abyss was warm arms wrapping around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I come from the very middle of America. The first time I saw the ocean, I was 21. I have never been on a big boat. Lol so if there's anything unrealistic, I apologize. I would really like to know what you thought about this chapter and if you have any suggestions. Also, I wrote this like two years ago, and just last week realized that I basically made Sakura fight that stretchy guy from One Piece. Lol. 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading. Stay tuned for the next chapter next Friday. :)


	12. Leopard in the Midst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! It is Thanksgiving today in America, and I just wanted to give a special thank you again to everyone who has read, reviewed, bookmarked, and given kudos. Even when I'm having a terrible day, seeing an email notification that someone has taken interest in this story totally cheers me up. Also, thanks as always to my beta Moonlight_Lily, who has incredible work of her own. Please go check her out!

 

Chapter 12  
Leopard in the Midst

These past couple weeks had been nerve-wracking for Kakashi. What had started out as an act for a mission was becoming much too real for his liking. Now his partner had lost consciousness and was bleeding profusely on him, and why did it feel like his heart was being crushed?

He had seen many of his friends die before him.  _Because_  of him. That sensation of teeth gnashing futility and soul-rending despair was his oldest companion. It had been perching on his shoulder like an unwelcome passenger ever since the day he discovered his father's cold body on the living room floor. In times of peace and when Kakashi's sorrows were few, it became so emaciated and light that he could forget its existence entirely. But when it came time for hard choices and unwanted farewells, it fed off his fear and melancholy until it was obese and crushing his chest.

Right now he couldn't breathe.

Sakura's face was so wan and her skin so cold, and there was nothing he could do but hope that she could sort herself out. He couldn't heal—he wasn't the medic.

The water was beginning to lap at his feet and the tilt of the sinking ship was so extreme that anything not secured was sliding past them and into the ocean. He needed to get her somewhere safe and dry. Her breathing was far too shallow for his liking. Through the gash in her dress he could make out the source of the problem: a stab wound that was large enough for his fist to fit through. For the thousandth time he wished he still had the Sharingan so he could see her chakra and whether she was regenerating even though unconscious. It would be four hours until they were back on land. Would she be alright?

He picked her up gingerly, and when he reached around to her back and felt another wound he swore. She had been run through, yet she had been more concerned about healing his stupid cut than saving her own life.

"You'd better wake up soon," he muttered. "You're not dying until I've lectured you thoroughly on the stupidity of martyrdom."

If she had been aware, she surely would have shot back something like, "That's rich coming from the guy who once died to save us." Instead her head just lolled limply against his shoulder as he held her to him bridal-style.

Kakashi walked over to the starboard side and to the three lifeboats of largely uninjured crew huddling inside them. In the last moment before the enemy nin's strange Wind release jutsu that had created the sonic boom and tsunami, he had created a smaller wave to bring the crew's boats close enough to the ship to avoid being drawn into the deadly ripples.

"Get to the other boat and get us back to land as soon as possible," he ordered them. "My partner's been injured."

"Yes, sir!" they yelled in unison and began furiously rowing. Perhaps their motivation came from the fact that he had saved their lives, or perhaps even from the water's surface they could see the desperation in his eyes.

Kakashi darted across the water and onto the pirates' still-seaworthy galleon. The deck was a mess of mangled body parts and crimson, but offending the sailors' sensibilities was the absolute least of his concerns at the moment. He strode into the captain's cabin and placed her on the cot there, carefully resting her on her side as she had instructed.

Crouching down beside her, he pushed her damp locks out of her face and caressed her pallid cheeks. She was still breathing and her heart rate was low but steady. Worry gnawed at his stomach like a rat even though he told himself that this wasn't the worst injury she had ever received, and she was strong, and she was capable, and she would be just fine in a few hours.

Presently he heard the men reach the boat and clamber aboard. One of them knocked and said through the door that they were making preparations to sail posthaste. Kakashi gave a grunt of acknowledgement that probably didn't reach the man's ears, but he didn't care.

There was only one thing in this entire world he cared about right now.

How had their once professional and friendly relationship morphed into what it was now? How had he allowed his priorities and reasoning to be stripped away? The only explanation he had was a quote from  _Icha Icha Paradise,_ page 103, paragraph two.

_Of all emotions, it was the archest by far. It was powerful enough to quell the most vicious tempest of rage and to drain the deepest pools of sorrow, large enough to eclipse the moons of ration and caution. Yet for all its awesome power, it did not assault or siege; it trickled through every crack and chink of the soul in drops and dribbles until one day its victim woke up filled to the brim with its slippery warmth and was left wondering how he had been so soundly conquered._

Kakashi ran a bloodied hand through his hair. It was true that this past week he had found himself tempted to add more realism to their roles than necessary, but Sakura had been the same. Taking his hand and holding it even when they weren't around Mifune and his men, kissing him sweetly before they went to sleep, giving him that smile that made his fingertips a bit sweaty. She didn't have to do any of those things, but she was just as dedicated to the success of the mission as he was, and that was her sole motivation.

He needed to shake all of this nonsense out of his head and remember reality. He was thirty-six, for God's sake. Well past the age for dreaming up romance where there would never be any. She had made her own feelings on the matter clear that first night they had fooled around on that mission to spy on the adulterer. "You're my closest friend and I don't want to ruin what we have," she had told him.

And Sakura was his closest friend. There was no one else in this whole wide world that he trusted more. She had seen so many of his flaws and shortcomings and yet she stuck by his side, patching up all the wounds life gave him and making him whole again. Kakashi couldn't imagine what he'd be doing without her.

"Aw, fuck," he groaned, as the realization broke out like sunshine from a cloud of denial.

This mission would be the death of him.

* * *

Sakura woke to the smell of sandalwood and freshly cut alfalfa, and without opening her eyes knew that Kakashi was beside her. It took a moment for her pounding head to realize that despite the fact she had passed out on a boat, she felt no rocking and she smelled no brine.

Blearily she opened her eyes and noted that they were back in their shabby room in Mifune's barracks. She felt around weakly for Kakashi, and was rewarded when her fingers met his soft silver hair.

"Why are you on the floor?" she slurred.

At the sound of her voice he instantly rose to his knees and took her in, his dark eyes hawkish as he noted every facet of her appearance.

"I didn't want to get your blood all over me again," he said simply, but then turned serious. "Keep healing yourself as soon as you can."

Her wounds had closed a little while she had been unconscious. The seal had been at work, leaking out a slow but steady stream of its stored chakra to staunch the bleeding. She put a hand over her stomach and began to hasten the process.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Six hours," he answered. "What were you thinking?"

A flash of guilt shot through her at his worried expression and she couldn't meet his eyes. "I knew I wouldn't die," she said quietly.

"Well,  _I_  didn't. You can't be so reckless."

"It wasn't reckless. I knew exactly what I was doing," she said hotly. "And I told you that I'd be fine."

His broad hand was on her cheek, gently turning her to face him once more. Kakashi's mask was down to reveal his pained look in its entirety.

His words were soft but full. "Sakura, do you have any idea what I would do if something happened to you?"

The indignation that had been rising in her suddenly vanished. He was so unguarded, so true in that moment that it stole her breath away. Guilt swept over her. She had made him fret for six hours now. If he did the same to her she'd be pulling her hair out.

She reached up to caress his cheek and he closed his eyes as he leaned into her touch. She whispered sincerely, "I'm sorry."

In reply Kakashi knelt lower and brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss that made her feel as though the sun was inside her chasing away all of the cold and pain.

He pulled away too soon, though he lingered a few centimeters from her. "Don't do it again."

That was an order she couldn't promise to follow and he knew it just as well as she did. So instead she patted the bed and said, "Come up here and let me bleed on you."

"You certainly know how to sway me," he said flatly, but in the next moment he had carefully scooted her to the side of the bed so he could lie down with her.

Cold and in pain and exhausted, Sakura craved him. She rested her head on his chest as she continued healing herself, and he got his fingers lost in her long tresses as he looked at his book, though she doubted he was actually reading it.

With each passing minute her chakra melted away her aches and his body took away the chill. Beneath the blankets and with her head on his chest where she could feel his smoothe breaths and even heartbeats, she had never been more at peace.

"Kakashi?" she said softly.

"Mm?"

She bit down on her lip as she considered whether or not to say what was on her mind. But she knew that if she didn't say it now, when she was woozy from the injury and his nearness, that she wouldn't be able to say it later.

"I'm glad that we made the decision to be together and come here. I like this." She ran her fingers down his chest and back up before squeezing a bit closer to him.

She felt Kakashi's breath freeze for the shortest moment, and then he was stroking her hair in a way that left her scalp tingling and yearning for more of his touch.

They said very little that evening and the only time Kakashi left her side was to grab them dinner. Even after she was fully healed and had also finished sealing the cut on his side, they stayed in bed.

It was late at night when suddenly Pakkun appeared at the foot of the bed, a furoshiki bundle with a shuriken pattern on it in his teeth. If the pug thought anything odd of the way his master was currently holding his ex-student to his bare chest, he didn't give any sign.

"Finally found it," was all he said, and placed the package on Kakashi's blanketed lap.

"Thanks," the shinobi said, and Sakura sat up with him to inspect the item. It was small, no larger than a grapefruit.

Pakkun sat down before them and gave a nod to the girl. "I knew you'd pull through. Kakashi always forgets to use his nose when he gets panicked."

Sakura frowned, bewildered. "What does his nose have to do with any of it?"

"The chakra," Kakashi explained, shooting the dog an irritated look. "If I had thought to smell you I would have realized much sooner that your seal was working to heal you even after you fainted."

Pakkun ignored the Copy Nin's displeased look and laid down on Sakura's lap, belly up for maximum belly rubs.

"I've been thinking this for quite some time, but today's events have convinced me," Kakashi announced as he untied the bundle to reveal its contents. "You need more long-range attacks, ones that don't use your chakra. I want you to have this."

Sakura took the item in his outstretched hand and inspected it. It was a thick bangle bracelet made of one solid ring of moonstone. Electric blue streaks in the polished white stone made it appear as though it were glowing from within and it was warm to the touch, as if it had been sitting in the afternoon sun.

"What is it?" she asked, turning it around in her hands to discover its every facet and glimmer.

"It's the sister of my tanto. Throw it at an enemy and it will become a blade with the same white chakra as my sword."

Just looking at the beautiful piece of jewelry it was hard to believe that such an innocent bangle could transform into a deadly projectile at will, but while Kakashi was prone to making jokes at others' expenses, he wouldn't do so in a way that would risk her safety.

Sakura knew that his tanto had once been his father's. It was how he had gotten the nickname White Fang, after all. Did this mean that this had also belonged to his dad?

"Kakashi, I can't accept this. It was your dad's—it's too precious," she objected.

"No," he said as he slid it onto her wrist before she could give it back to him, "it wasn't his. And it's been in a cold and dark hole in the ground for over thirty years now. I would wear it, but it clashes with my uniform."

Sakura shook her head as she admired the sentiment he had put into this gift. He could try to play it off with all the nonchalance and lame jokes in the world, but she knew that he had very few possessions, and exceedingly few mementos of his family. This was a man who was so notorious for fobbing the tab off on someone else that he had been dubbed the Eat 'n' Run Nin. The only thing he had ever given her in the ten years they had known each other was chicken bouillon granules when she was on death's door. He was such a penny-pincher that he had one time decided to make the two of them sleep outdoors during a blizzard because the only inn in the area charged two ryo more than the usual places they stayed in. He had nearly caught pneumonia and Sakura had ridden him relentlessly for it.

Hatake Kakashi was not a giving man, and yet he had chosen to give her this.

"I promise to take good care of it," she swore, giving him a soft smile that he happily returned.

* * *

Something was...weird.

Uzumaki Naruto had used his years of honed cunning to deduce this fact when, upon returning from a mission, everyone in the village who saw him either gave him a pitying look or began whispering to a friend.

The mission itself had been unusual, too. Tsunade-baa had summoned him early Thursday morning and dispatched him on an "urgent" mission to Lightning to handle a matter of international diplomacy with the Raikage. As per her oddly terse and specific orders, he had set off without saying goodbye to anyone. And when he had arrived at Kumogakure the Raikage had seemed surprised to see him. Naruto spent two weeks there, and each day A seemed more and more hard-pressed to find something for the blond to do, yet if he mentioned returning to Konoha grew almost panicked and hurried to think of a task for him.

If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd think that he was being waylaid.

When he returned to Konohagakure and everyone around him started acting like they were allergic to him, his suspicions were confirmed. He had gone straight up to the top of the Hokage's tower and barged into her offices without even knocking. She had been in the middle of debriefing some jounin, but the moment he crossed the threshold she dispatched them.

"Tsunade-baachan, what's going on?" he demanded. "You send me to Kumo for two weeks and I come back and everyone's treating me like I'm a leopard!"

Normally, she was furious when he just stormed into her offices like a whirlwind, oblivious to her schedule and duties. And normally, she would have given him a tongue lashing and chucked a book at his head for mistaking "leper" for "leopard," but today her brow was furrowed in a harrowed, grim way.

She said heavily, "Naruto, sit down."

As the gravity of the room began to sink in, a bolt of worry shot through him. Nobody had died, had they? He did as told, though sitting was the last thing he wanted to do at a moment like this.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm going to be blunt," she said, fixing him with a hard, matter-of-fact stare. "Kakashi and Sakura were discovered to be in a romantic relationship two weeks ago. As punishment for concealing their relationship and jeopardizing innumerous missions, I gave them the choice of handing over their hitaiate or leaving the village. They left that night."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. No. No, none of this was possible. There was no way in hell that Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei would—

"I know that this isn't easy for you to swallow, but surely you noticed something these past few years. They told me they realized their feelings for each other four years ago and have been hiding it ever since."

"There's no way—" he began hotly, but then paused. There was the fact that any time the three of them went on a mission, Sakura and Kakashi always shared a room and gave him a room to himself. He had been all for sharing one, but they complained that he snored too loudly. It had struck him as a bit odd at first, but the very notion of the two of them canoodling was just so ridiculous it hadn't even crossed his mind.

And there had been the time he had stopped by Sakura's house to find the two of them sleeping in her bed. The kunoichi had explained that he was injured and sleeping off his wounds, and they shared beds much smaller than this when on missions so this meant nothing. It had seemed plausible at the time, but now…

And sometimes he swore that they could read each other's minds. Some days they were insufferable, with their inside jokes he didn't get and the way they could have whole conversations in single words that left him scratching his head and waiting for an explanation.

—But no! Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan would never violate the teacher-student relationship like that. And they were two of the most professional and dedicated ninja he knew. They would never jeopardize a mission because they were engaging in gland-to-gland combat on the side.

"There's been a mistake," he growled. "They're best friends, not lovers."

"By their own admission they are madly in love and chose to leave the village to be together."

His nails cut into his palms as he clenched his fist. "Even if it is true that they like each other, there's no way in hell that either of them would leave Konoha! They've committed their entire lives to serving and protecting it. All of their friends are here."

"Naruto," Tsunade said harshly, "do you think they would have a happy life here as civilians with the cloud of their deeds hanging over them the rest of their lives? Their reputations are ruined."

His outrage dulled at this revelation. "Wull…where are they?"

The Godaime sighed, looking tireder than he had ever seen her. "I can't say. Though I can't condone their relationship, Sakura was my apprentice and Kakashi my most trusted ninja. I haven't sent ANBU to keep tabs on them and I don't intend to. And  _you_  are not to go looking for them, either. That's a direct order, Naruto."

"But—"

"But nothing," she snarled. "They've made their choices and now we all have to deal with it. Besides, you'll see them again at some point. The world is too small for you not to."

Naruto was uncharacteristically subdued as he took in all of this. "And Sasuke? Does he know yet?"

"No, and I shudder to think how he'll react. He's due to return to Konoha any day now for a mission report, and I'll need you to help keep him from doing anything rash."

The jinchuuriki frowned. When Sasuke set his mind to something, he was an unstoppable force. Besides, Naruto himself had more than half a mind to track down Kakashi and Sakura and beat the living daylights out of their teacher for doing this to Team 7. Because surely it was the perverted nin's fault. He had corrupted their cherry blossom and Naruto had lost two members of his family as a result.

It was a hard pill to swallow. The next couple days Naruto spent in a daze, going through all of his memories of them and their interactions. How had he missed it? How had he been so blind to the hearts of two of the people he held dearest?

Selfishly, he was saddened that they hadn't thought to tell him. Of course he would have killed Kakashi, but then Sakura would heal him and maybe they could have figured out a way to keep them from getting kicked out.

And now he had to figure out how to handle Sasuke. Naruto was distraught to have lost half of his team in the blink of an eye, but he was mature enough to heed the Hokage's orders not to go after them. The Uchiha, though… Once he learned that the two had eloped, there would be no crag they could hide from him in.

At one time, Naruto's best friend had been so lost down the path of darkness that he had been but a pinprick in the distance. In the past several years he had managed to come back into the light, but there was still a flicker of that deep blackness within him he wore like a scar. Would it resurface when he learned that his teammate and teacher had been keeping their affair from him for four years?

Maybe he'd be his usual standoffish, bastard self. There had been a very obvious strain in the relationship between Sakura and Sasuke for quite some time. Neither of them would tell him what it was, but whenever Sasuke made his bi-monthly return to Konoha, the village would without fail be short one pink-haired kunoichi. Naruto couldn't begin to guess what had happened between them, but it didn't make sense that after chasing after him so ardently for years she would run from him now.

Unless…

Had Sasuke known about her and Kakashi's relationship? Was that the cause of their falling out? Surely, it was the only explanation possible. They had started avoiding each other like the plague a little more than four years ago, and Baa-chan had told him that they fell in love four years ago.

The chopsticks he had been holding splintered and shattered in his fist.

* * *

Naruto had been waiting by the gates for two days straight. He had had Ichiraku deliver each of his meals because he wasn't budging from this spot until one certain black-haired, too-cool-for-Konoha ninja showed his stupid face.

And then he was going to smash that face to a pulp.

Uchiha Sasuke had no sooner stepped through the gates than he heard the battle cry of, "Sasuke, you bastard!" And that was all the warning he had before his friend was lunging at him with his fist raised. He effortlessly sidestepped the sloppy attack.

"What did I do to deserve this abuse?" he asked plainly.

Naruto snarled at him as he raised his fists again. "You know damn well! How could you have kept it from me?"

A crowd was gathering now. Nobody in their right mind would miss a showdown between the Kyuubi vessel and the last Uchiha.

Sasuke just kept stepping out of the way of Naruto's hasty swings and kicks, unwilling to hit back until he had answers.

"What have I kept from you?"

"You knew! You knew about Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei, didn't you?"

His brows raised in mute surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Naruto's fists faltered. Sasuke had all the expressiveness of a rock, but he recognized his sincerity immediately. "So...you didn't know, then."

"Know what?" the Uchiha demanded impatiently.

"That Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei… They've been kicked out of the village," he said heavily. "They've been keeping their relationship a secret for four years. I thought you knew and that was why you two don't talk anymore."

Sasuke went oddly still at Naruto's words, and suddenly the calm facade rippled and split to reveal a rage the likes of which Naruto hadn't seen on his friend's face since his darkest days.

Without warning he bit his finger and slammed it against the ground. Black sigils spread out from beneath his palm and ten great hawks appeared around him. He flicked his hand to the sky and they spread out in all directions.

And then he was turning back to the gates, his long black cape swirling with him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, realizing immediately what he was planning on doing. "Tsunade-baachan ordered us not to go after them."

"My travels take me many places. Who can say where I'll end up?" he said darkly, and then he had vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto had a very, very bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Leave a review and let me know what you think Sasuke will do if/when he finds Sakura and Kakashi. And what do you think about the moonstone bracelet Kakashi gave Sakura? See you next week.


	13. Of Gods, Peasants, and Slaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to the next installment. I'm very excited to see what you think of this chapter, for a variety of reasons.

 

 

* * *

Minami had been exceptionally pleased with Sakura and Kakashi's work, and the following day when she was fully healed they were presented with a large sum of money and another offer to move up the chain of command. They all too happily accepted both.

The next month was spent doing odd jobs for six different branches of the syndicate like sabotaging rival warehouses and shipments, assassinating a few enemies, and courier missions with large sums of money. Sakura had planted her slugs in various offices and meeting places of the syndicate and each night Katsuyu reported what she had learned to Sakura, who then forwarded it to the Hokage.

It had become clear that this syndicate was incredibly far-reaching. They had discovered thirty-one small operations like Mifune's, which then reported to twelve larger ones like Minami's. Above Minami and his lot were four lieutenants and the kumicho himself, a shadowy man they knew only by the name of Hideo. They were operating in multiple countries, trading in illegal drugs and arms as well as laundering money. However, both Kakashi and Sakura suspected that there was still another commodity they hadn't discovered. The exorbitant sums of money they were raking in just didn't add up.

"We've got a job for you, tonight," they were told by one of the lieutenants, a grisled man in his sixties with long white hair in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Kumatani Jiro was his name, and he spoke as though he had swallowed a mouthful of gravel. The reason for his growl was a gruesome silver scar along his throat that he had received in his youthful days when he was establishing his territory.

"Yes, Kumatani-sama," the two of them acknowledged in unison. Sakura and Kakashi were on one knee, heads bowed respectfully.

"Those bastards from Yagi Trades think they can muscle in on our turf. They've got a ship coming to port here tonight after midnight and you're going to blast it to bits. I don't even want a splinter left behind."

"Yes, sir."

"And if you two pull this off, I imagine that Hideo-sama will want to congratulate you in person."

Sakura and Kakashi inwardly rejoiced. One more simple task and they would have reached the top of the chain.

"Rest assured, Kumatani-sama," Kakashi vowed, "we will handle this like we have all the other jobs before this one."

Their boss wasn't one to feel much less show joy, so instead of a smile gave them a sort of grimace. "Konoha lost two incredibly fine ninja when you two decided to fuck."

Sakura blushed beet red at the crassness of his words, but her partner gave a light laugh and pulled her to her feet before excusing them.

They had all day and evening to prepare to destroy the ship. Sakura and Kakashi decided to talk it over lunch at a sushi restaurant. He enjoyed an assortment of sanma, ikura, and uni while Sakura stuck to the more plain options of salmon, maguro, and ebi. She would be sad to return to Konoha—nothing beat the fresh seafood here. They could never get anything so delicious back at home where they were so far inland.

"Something tells me that this is going to be our biggest job yet," Kakashi said as he dabbed the sanma in the soy sauce and popped it into his mouth. Sakura was intrigued to see that he forwent chopsticks in favor of his fingers.

"Mm," she agreed and plucked another plate of amaebi off the conveyor for herself. "It might be guarded too. We'll have to be prepared for combat."

They had had to engage a couple other ninja on other jobs this week already. For-hire mercenary types that guarded cargo or people. Excluding the weird bendy people, none of them had posed much difficulty for Sakura or Kakashi, but preparedness was paramount.

"We've got to make sure that this goes off without a hitch," Kakashi noted.

"Oh, please. We've got a perfect record so far. Tonight should go just as well as long as we keep focused."

His dark eyes went from her smoothe legs encased in black tights and up to the tantalizing view of her black bindings through the neckline of her red dress and then to her amused green eyes.

"Focused," he murmured.

Sakura just laughed as she plucked a stray grain of rice from his cheek and sucked it off her finger savoringly. She could see the desire rise in his eyes, and she relished the power she held over him. Such a simple gesture and he was already itching to feel her again, even though they had started off the day with a fair amount of feeling each other.

Slyly she reached beneath the counter and ran her hand across his crotch. He cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter and her smile widened when she felt him begin to grow firm the more she rubbed.

"I'm not in the mood for sushi anymore," she whispered.

He must have been hasty to leave because he actually paid for the two of them and then all but pulled her out of the restaurant. Sakura allowed herself to be led through the busy streets and down a narrow alley that was just barely wide enough for the two of them to stand in.

"Kakashi, you can't be serious," she whispered as he pressed her against the brick wall.

Just a few paces before them the alley opened onto a bustling main street teeming with people going about their days. While the tight space they were in was shaded thanks to the tall buildings on either side, all someone had to do was glance over and they would see the two ninja in an incredibly indecent position.

But the Copy Nin didn't seem perturbed by this in the slightest. He squeezed her breasts and lamented the fact that they were locked up behind her bindings and then settled for suckling and kissing her neck instead.

He said in between swirls of tongue, "Think of it as training."

"And what kind of training would this be?" she demanded as he hitched up one her legs to press his hot length against her further. It didn't matter how many times she felt him against her—his touch left electricity in its wake each and every time.

"Chakra concealment. So long as we erase our presences, no one should notice us."

This was a terrible idea. Fooling around like this in the open was just inviting trouble. But his outrageously nimble tongue and stupidly erotic rolls of his hips were doing funny things to her head. All the reasons why they should stop were slowly fading, and in their place was a wicked fire intent on burning the two of them up.

Sakura slipped her hands down the back of his pants to squeeze his fine ass and she was rewarded with a sharp nip.

"You're devious," she accused in a hiss.

Kakashi pulled away from her neck and gave her a grin that was as smug as it was roguish. "You love it," he reminded her.

Yes, yes she  _did_  love it, she thought as he grabbed her by the hips to abruptly spin her around to face the brick wall and tugged her tight skirt up past her ass. She loved everything this man did to her, from the way he gave her that hungry look to the way he moaned her name as he came undone inside her. He was the only one that could ignite her soul like this, the only one who could give her such a sense of completion and longing at the same time.

Kakashi pulled down her tights, brushed aside her snow white thong, and without any further ado entered her in one full thrust. Going from aching emptiness one moment to being overflowing with his love was nearly too much for her to handle and Sakura had to bite back the wanton cry that begged to leave her lips. He let out a soft, relieved sigh upon sheathing himself fully within her and grabbed her hips firmly as he started to pump in and out in a short yet powerful rhythm that had her arching her back and gasping.

"It doesn't matter how many times we do this, I always want more," he groaned.

She had always been a sucker for praise. Hearing him admit the fact that he found her irresistible as he fucked her desperately in this dingy little alley where there was a river of people passing by just a few feet away was one of the hottest things she had ever experienced.

"Make sure to come inside me," she panted. "I want to have your cum inside me all day long."

She heard him swear and he grew even rougher as his hands drifted from her hips to wrap around her inner thighs, and when his finger swirled over her clit she couldn't contain a soft cry.

"Shh," he whispered. "Or do you want all of these people to watch me fuck you?"

Despite herself the scene his words conjured in her mind sent a thrill down her spine and she began rocking back to meet him thrust for thrust. Kakashi took a deep breath of air in an attempt to restrain himself, but as usual he lost control and pounded into her ruthlessly.

But this was exactly what Sakura had wanted, and she gave a sharp gasp each time his cock pierced her in that flawless way, each time he pinched her clit and made her see stars.

She pled, "I'm close."

He had known this, of course. There was nothing he didn't know about Haruno Sakura any longer. He knew that when he swung his hips just a couple millimeters lower she would cry out his name in the most beautiful mewl. And he knew that she loved it when he filled her with his seed. When her breath quivered and goosebumps broke out along her soft skin, he knew that she was just as close to release as he was.

And so with another few masterful thrusts, he triggered that reaction that was as old as time. With a harsh gasp and soft moan her walls clenched down on him as she trembled and scratched at the wall he had her pressed against.

Two more pumps and he too took the plunge, spilling his cum inside her hotly. Truly, there was no better feeling in the world than his medic writhing against him as he filled her. By now he had lost count of how many times he had had her like this, trembling and whispering his name like a prayer as he gave her his love until she could take no more.

Kakashi rested his head between her shoulder blades as the two of them took a few moments to remember how to function.

But they really couldn't just stand around with their pants down in this alley forever. Someone was eventually bound to notice them. The two of them fixed their clothes and Sakura wiped a few drops of sweat from his brow as he smoothed an errant lock of pink hair. She was so breathtaking like this, her bosom heaving and the pink of her blush matching her hair nicely.

And she was all his.

They just stared at each other for a few moments, and in that moment there was no performance and no secrecy. Kakashi gave her a soft, affectionate kiss and she wrapped an arm around him tenderly as he slanted his mouth against hers and enjoyed her taste.

Reluctance tinged her brow as she pulled away, but then she gave him a warm smile. "Back to business?"

He tugged his mask back up and nodded with a grin of his own. "We've got prep to do."

The two shinobi whittled the following hours away getting ready for their job. Kakashi made explosive tags by inscribing the fuda with the proper seals and imparting fire chakra within them while Sakura inspected all of their weapons and ensured that they were all sharp enough to split a hair. She also continued working on the Wood Release.

"You know," Kakashi said as he scribbled a seal onto a paper, "you should ask Sasuke about one-handed seals. He's mastered them, after all."

Sakura snorted and put the bag she had managed to move halfway across the room back at its starting position. Just the mention of his name sent a flash of hot anger through her, but she tried not to let it show lest he become nosy. "Like he'd ever condescend to teach me anything."

"Rumor has it last time he was back he was seen helping some genin find their lost kunai. He's not the same Doom and Gloom as before."

She rolled her eyes. That was what  _he_  thought. "This is my thing. Everyone else has their own signature moves. Naruto has his shroud and completed Rasengan and shadow clones and everything else under the sun. Sasuke has his sword and Rinnegan and a trillion other jutsu. You've got the Chidori, your dogs, and a whole slew of cool jutsu. I just have everything I've stolen from Tsunade-shishou. It's deplorable. I'm going to master the Wood Release and I'm going to make it my legacy, and I can't claim it's mine if everyone is holding my hand every step of the way."

"Naruto was only able to complete the Wind Shuriken with the help of Jiraiya, Tenzou, Asuma, and myself. Sasuke learned the majority of his repertoire from Orochimaru. And I learned mine from Minato-sensei and my enemies. We are the sum of our parts."

Sakura ignored him. She wasn't in the mood to listen to Teacher Kakashi impart life lessons upon her.

At nightfall, the two set off. Cloaked by the cloudy, starless night they skimmed across the water and toward the Land of Water. The plan was to sink the ship while it was in the middle of the sea, and as long as it was sailing on schedule they were due to meet it in two minutes.

Sure enough, the boat loomed over the dark horizon. Kakashi and Sakura split so that he climbed up the starboard side and she the port. It seemed that the other traders in the area were aware that the syndicate had a couple extremely capable ninja in their employ and were bulking up their security, because there were six ninja prowling the decks and looking bored.

But they couldn't defend against what they couldn't see, Sakura thought with a grin. First, she created a Kage Bunshin and it dashed across the hull and to the stern while she headed to the bow. Next, she kneaded her chakra and created the perfect combination to form a gas that would paralyze anyone who inhaled it as her clone did the same. Kakashi had slipped on a gas mask earlier, so she didn't have to worry about him.

She and her bunshin crept up onto the deck and in unison released the glut of clear, odorless poison from their chest and watched as all twenty-some men collapsed in twitching heaps, some crying out as they did so.

"Nice," Kakashi complimented, unholstering a kunai. "I'll handle them."

As he went about tying up the crew and slitting the throats of the ninja, Sakura took a lantern from the deck and headed down to the hold to plant the explosive tags and learn what sort of cargo the ship was carrying. She opened the wooden hatch but only took a few steps down the stairs when she froze.

From within the pitch black depths of the hold hundreds of pairs of eyes were gleaming and glinting in the weak lantern light.

And then they spoke all at once, creating a din that rivaled the sounds of the waves outside.

"You're not one of them, are you?"

"Are you going to help us?"

"You've got to get us out of these chains!"

Sakura's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. These people, these  _human beings_ , were the cargo.

And they had orders to destroy every last one of them along with the ship.

"Sakura, what's going on?"

Kakashi had heard the commotion and was behind her on the stairs. His eyes could cut through the dark much better than hers and his mouth dropped open in surprise.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

Over their dead bodies would either of them blow up the ship with them inside. But they were in the middle of the ocean and there weren't enough lifeboats for them all. Also, rescuing these people would be a direct violation of the conditions of Kumatani's assignment. There were somewhere around 170 men, women, and children before them. Even if they could get them off the ship, where would they take them? The syndicate had eyes and ears all along the coast, and a huge group of people in rags suddenly appearing the night a ship of slaves was supposed to go up in flames could not be explained away.

Kakashi was silent for a few moments and Sakura could practically hear the cogs and gears whirring in his mind as he thought of a solution.

She knew he had devised a method by the sharp glint of intellect in his eyes. He was all business as he rattled off the plan. "It's eight p.m. now. We have roughly nine hours to relocate these people, fake their deaths, sink this ship, and return to Kumatani. We don't have a single second to waste. You and I are going to teleport these people to Konoha. It requires a very complicated seal and it will take me a couple hours to write it. In the meantime, inform the Hokage of their arrival. Then travel to Takarajima fifteen kilometers to the northeast and start hunting and bringing over as many decently sized animals as you can. We'll blow them up with the ship and their bones should prove evidence enough that we carried out the mission."

"You put Shikamaru to shame," she gushed and then told everyone to rest assured, that they would be free in a matter of hours, and to be patient.

She returned to the deck and summoned a small piece of Katsuyu, who took her message and immediately relayed it to Tsunade. It wasn't common knowledge, but Sakura's shishou was in the habit of keeping a small piece of Katsuyu hidden beneath her haori when Sakura was on reconnaissance missions like this one. The ability to communicate instantly like this was invaluable and had saved their lives on two previous missions.

"Tsunade-sama says that they will begin preparations to receive them immediately," the little slug informed her.

"Wonderful. Thank you," Sakura said sincerely, and with a slight tilt of its head her summons vanished.

Phase one complete, she cut loose four of the lifeboats leapt over the side of the ship. The ropes to the boats gripped firmly in either hand, she ran northeast toward Takarajima. She wasn't looking forward to killing a bunch of innocent creatures, but the alternative was a thousand times worse. After about ten minutes of sprinting full speed she made it to the sandy shores of the uninhabited island. Too small to be liveable, it was really little more than a large rock with a forest on top of it. The nighttime wilderness was alive with the sounds of all manner of creatures.

Sakura grinned. It was time to use one of her more under-utilized jutsu. She spilled the blood of her left hand this time and slammed it into the sand, and when she drew herself up to her full height once more she was no longer alone.

Eight of her summons stood before her, and the largest gave a small nod. "You have summoned us."

While the kunoichi held Katsuyu dear to her and the slug's abilities were indispensable when she was healing, Sakura was sorely in need of a summons that could assist her offensively. She had thought long and hard about what summons to choose—Kakashi had espoused the virtues of ninken for so long that she nearly shoved her fist in his mouth to shut him up—but it had been thanks to Sai that she chose what she had. She had seen the beasts in his drawings and had been enchanted by their power and grace.

The komainu that stood before her were larger than a lion but smaller than a bear, with fierce, dog-like faces and fur that varied in length, color, and texture from one to another. Her band of eight were unrivalled in their ferocity and intellect. Jin, whose fur was white as snow, was the leader of the other seven and had addressed her. Like most of his brothers, he wasn't one for idle chatter.

Sakura explained the situation and they listened keenly before darting into the forest to kill whatever beasts they could find. Within minutes her summons were bringing back deer, boar, baboons, and bears that she piled into the boats. When all were full, she called them back to her and together they made their way back to the ship. Two komainu held onto the ropes of each lifeboat as they tugged them effortlessly across the waves, and as Sakura was also pulling one this left fiercely loyal Tada and clever Tomo to walk the waters on either side of her.

"Your scent has changed," Tomo commented in his baritone growl.

A bit of pink blush crossed her cheeks. Being dogs of a sort, of course their noses were able to pick up Kakashi's presence on her.

"Yes," was all she could think to say.

Tada asked, "Are you going to have his children?"

Sakura was so startled by the question that she nearly lost her chakra on her feet and sank into the ocean a few inches before righting herself.

"Of course not!" she sputtered. "We're just pretending to be in a relationship for the mission. We're just...method actors."

Yasu, whose black fur had dapples of deep brown in it and whose ears were permanently bent, said around the rope in his teeth, "You could do worse."

"Even if he chose the peasants as his summons," Chika snorted.

"Peasants," Sakura had learned, was the term that the komainu used to refer to regular dogs. The first time Kakashi had heard her summons calling his summons as such he went two full days saying nothing but terse one-word replies and grunts to her. Sakura had scolded her eight and warned them never to speak of her partner's summons like that again. They now refrained from doing so in front of him, at least.

Before long they had made it back to the ship and began tossing the carcasses up to one another and stowing them out of the way of Kakashi's intricate seal, which was taking up the majority of the deck with complicated geometric designs and incantations. She thanked her summons, whom Kakashi steadfastly ignored, and they returned to their lands.

As Sakura was unfamiliar with this jutsu and was unable to help Kakashi with the preparation, she went down to the hold to break everyone loose of their bindings and heal whatever injuries they had. They had been captured in the far continent and were being brought here to be sent to some unknown destination. Starved, feeble, and scared, they huddled together and shivered. It was early December, and the rags they wore did little to keep the icy sea air at bay. There was nothing she could do for malnutrition or cold, and she so did what she could by healing the sores the ropes had left on their wrists and ankles while assuring them that once they arrived in Konoha they would receive top notch care.

At length, Kakashi appeared at the top of the stairs to the hold and directed everyone to come topdeck. They all followed and stepped into the center of a large circle that encompassed more than half of the entire deck. The Copy Nin explained the casting method to Sakura, who committed it to memory and took her place beside him.

"Ready, set, go," Kakashi commanded, and in perfect synchronicity they completed the chain of seventy-seven hand seals. Their chakra poured out of their feet and into the seal, which glowed so brightly everyone in the center shielded their eyes.

And then, in the space of a wink, it was just Sakura, Kakashi, and the saddest zoo ever left on the deck. The two of them panted from the chakra exertion—they had used the vast majority of their reserves to send that many people so far.

Sakura summoned Katsuyu again to confirm that everyone had made it safe and sound and was relieved to hear that it had gone perfectly on their end. It was the first time a transportation jutsu for that many people at one time had been successfully done by two people. It generally required a team of at least six jounin who specialized in time-space jutsu.

Sakura couldn't help but preen a bit.

But they couldn't rest on their laurels yet. Next, she and Kakashi got rid of any clearly non-human bits of the animals with kunai. Skulls, hooves, fur, and claws were all thrown into a lifeboat to be disposed of separately. Once the corpses were all thrown into the hold, they stuck all of their explosive tags but two all over the ship. The final two they stuck in the lifeboat.

The waters to the east were beginning to take on a slightly purple hue as the sky lightened by the time they were done. Sakura's arms and legs were numb from the cold and her head was throbbing from the chakra usage, but she followed Kakashi a safe distance away from the boat before he exploded them with a simple Katon.

The ensuing blast was enough to blow her hair back and warm her limbs even though they were far enough away no debris could reach them. The waves grew violent and Kakashi grabbed ahold of her waist and pulled her close to keep them from getting separated.

Well, he told himself that was why he grabbed her, anyways.

"Objective complete," he said tiredly. "Let's get back to land."

All Sakura could do was limply nod.

And then they took off at an easy run across the waves and back to land. It took her a good five minutes to realize that his hand that had been around her waist was now held snugly in her own right hand. She couldn't recall grabbing it, and she couldn't believe that Kakashi wasn't pulling away. Afterall, when their only company was the occasional seagull or hawk they had no reason to keep up their pretense of lovers.

He must've just been too tired to object. Besides, his hand was a warm and welcome reprieve from the cold gripping her.

They were still holding hands when they made it back to Erimo and to Kumatani's offices. It was now eight in the morning and they dripped on his carpets as he drank coffee behind his mahogany desk.

"The task has been finished," Kakashi announced. "The ship and everything onboard is now at the bottom of the sea."

The battered old man gave a grin that looked more like a snarl. "Good. And the cargo?"

"In a very deep and watery grave," the silver haired nin lied smoothely.

Their boss' grin only widened. "That's perfect. Take your pay. I'll be in touch with you again soon. Hideo-sama will be very pleased by this news."

Sakura bristled. He thought that those innocent women, men, and children were dead, and he was  _happy._  She vowed that before the end of this mission she would give this man a taste of true pain.

With enough ryo to buy a small house outright they trudged back to their room in Mifune's barracks. Too exhausted for trivial things like baths or speech, they just stripped out of their sopping wet clothes and into each other's arms under the blankets.

Warm, safe, and whole. Kakashi smelled of salt and alfalfa, and his skin was still chill to the touch like hers. But as he pressed a sleepy kiss to her forehead and pulled her tightly to him, there wasn't anywhere else in the world she'd rather be.

She told him as much in a half-awake murmur against his chest.

"You're making me blush," he muttered, and in the next moment the two of them were fast asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for tuning in for another installment. What do you think about Sakura's summons? Katsuyu is...unique...but I think Sakura deserves something a bit more badass, don't you? I took the idea from this old Japanese saga called Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, which is about eight warrior brothers descended from dogs. Haha silly Japan. Anyways, if you've ever played the game Okami, you probably remember the arc with Princess Fuse and where you have to go round up all the dogs, yeah? That's an allusion to the Hakkenden.
> 
> There wasn't really a place for me to state this clearly, but each of the eight komainu have their own chakra affinity, and each one represents one of the eight Confucian ideals. Lol I have put a ridiculous amount of thought into this, you guys. So I'd like to know what you think! And what do you think about Sakura and Kakashi's relationship? In the narrative, a month has passed since the last chapter's events, so we can see that the lines between their cover story and reality are beginning to blur. Anyways, I'd love your input! Thanks again and see you next week.
> 
> Here's the eight komainu. From left to right: Japanese kanji, reading of kanji/their name, chakra affinity, meaning of the kanji  
> 忠 Tada, Water, Loyalty  
> 智 Tomo, Fire, Wisdom  
> 仁 Yasu, Wind, Compassion  
> 義 Chika, Lightning, Duty  
> 孝 Kyou, Yin, Filial piety  
> 信 Shin, Earth, Honesty  
> 悌 Tei, Yang, Sibling Harmony  
> 礼 Rei, Nature Politeness


	14. Tansies and Titillation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for stopping in for another chapter. As always, thank you for reading, favoriting, reviewing, and everything. Thank you to my beta, Moonlight_Lily, for constantly instilling me with confidence and inspiration.
> 
> Just a quick note: Quite a few readers are eager to learn what exactly Sasuke did to make Sakura hate him so much. I don't want to discuss plot or what is to come, but I want to set expectations. I will definitely reveal what he did, but it won't be for quite a while. I'm currently writing Chapter 20 and the reveal is still a few chapters off. So speculate, tell me what you think he did, and know that I will not leave you hanging.

* * *

 

Sakura's last words before she drifted off had clambered into Kakashi's ear and refused to leave. He kept hearing them even as he slept. In his dreams she came to him whispering them over and over again.

_This is where I always want to be._

She still had no idea that his act was slowly but surely melting away into truth. That taking her hand and kissing her felt as right and natural as breathing. That her smile and laugh had become the two things he coveted most.

Sakura didn't have the slightest inkling that she had become his everything in the span of a month.

To her, they were both still acting. Sure, she was putting some added affection in her touches and looks, but he could see in the depths of her green gaze that she held nothing more for him than the sort of love one feels for their closest friend. The kissing, hand-holding, and sex were all just an added bonus to her, one more novel facet to their platonic relationship.

It pained him more than he could express to know that in another couple weeks they would have to abandon this role and return to being just colleagues. Even if they continued being friends with benefits, he would ache for her in ways that she didn't want to give herself.

Before this mission, he had been content with their easy banter and occasional bouts in the sheets. They were friends with a physical attraction, ninja who took their jobs so seriously that they couldn't allow any sort of distraction while on duty.

That was the excuse they had crafted to explain away their cravings for each other. And while maybe it still held true for Sakura, that was no longer the case for Kakashi.

Perhaps it was because he was older. He had seen enough to fill five lifetimes, and while part of him wanted to continue going on missions until one day he didn't come back from one, there was a much smaller but insistent part of him that spoke of a home and a family. Things he hadn't had since he was five, and things he'd said he didn't need since he was five.

And yet, as he watched this woman sleep peacefully in his arms, he found the idea more and more appealing. Unbidden, his mind conjured images of a warm home where she would be waiting in bed for him when he came back from a mission with that mischievous smile on her lips.

He wanted it so much it hurt.

But there were a million reasons why it could never be. For starters, there was the fact that a relationship between teacher and student, past or present, was forbidden. Though Tsunade had thrown them out to help create a believable cover story, it was a very realistic simulation of what would happen to them if they were found out. The two of them would be stripped of their rank, all missions involving the two of them would have to be re-evaluated, and the interrogations would begin. How long had this relationship really been going on? From when she was still under his tutelage? The idea alone made Kakashi's stomach roil and there wasn't an ounce of truth behind it, but the nastier gossipers would hawk it as fact. He had long ago become inured to the cruel and false rumors about his person, but Sakura had always been so sensitive to what people thought of her….

Perhaps once Naruto became Hokage he could sanction their relationship, but that was years from now at best. And it wasn't just his approval they needed; they needed the Elders to go along with it too.

However, to be perfectly honest, that wasn't the main problem. The number one obstacle was the issue that Sakura didn't return his feelings. And why would she? She was young, smart, beautiful, and had the whole rest of her life just waiting for her on the horizon. He was washed up, old, and his horizon was merely darkening as his sun set.

Sakura had made her feelings for him crystal clear on several occasions. She liked fooling around with him in bed, but that was all it amounted to in her eyes. Just a press of warm bodies and a mutual exchange of pleasure. A way to eliminate distractions. More than anything else, she was scared to lose his friendship.

Because really, he was the only friend she had. A cursory glance of Haruno Sakura would show a rosy and outgoing girl, but peel back that outer layer and she was actually very insular. She had many "friends," people she went out for drinks with and trained with. But she meticulously, obsessively, kept them just at arm's length. The fallout she had had with Sasuke, for example, she refused to divulge the details of to anyone. Not even to Naruto or Kakashi, though it had been apparent at the time that something very major had happened between them.

She didn't even keep in touch with her family. Her father had died on the operating table a year ago, one of only three patients she had ever lost. And ever since then she had severed ties with her mother and avoided her like the plague. But her mother could put Orochimaru to shame with the things she said and did, so Kakashi couldn't fault her for that.

Despite having a roommate and a village full of people that cared for her, Sakura was actually quite alone.

But it was a self-imposed hermitage. Kakashi knew all of its signs and symptoms well—he too had spent the majority of his formative years alone by choice. Since she wasn't wallowing in a grave depression like he had been, he hadn't been too concerned about it.

Now he was rethinking that stance.

It was her desperate need to keep people out that was preventing her from opening her heart to him. If he could just use the remaining time on this mission to prize open the locks around her heart, maybe, just maybe—

He sighed. This boyish wish of his wouldn't come true. If he valued his and her careers, he shouldn't do anything that could make her love him.

Kakashi ran his fingers down her cheek and through her soft hair, and he was rewarded with a delicate smile as she wriggled closer against him in her sleep.

He wanted her. He wanted  _this._  He had never been more certain of anything in his life.

* * *

The following day they slept away, but they were roused by a knock on their door in the afternoon. Kakashi answered the door in his black pants and shirt, scratching his chin through his mask.

It was the gorilla-turned-dockworker who had shown them to their room the first day, looking like he'd rather be somewhere else than at their door. Perhaps the jungle, to be with his kind.

"Mifune-sama wants you," he grumbled.

"Right now?" Kakashi asked.

The man gave a grunt that could have been affirmative or negative and trundled away.

"Hospitable folk here," the Copy Nin said sunnily and closed the door.

Sakura was sitting up in bed, the tangled blankets like a nest. She rubbed her eyes blearily and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Do we have to go?" she groaned.

Kakashi just waved her little basket of shower goods at her. In response, she maturely threw her pillow at him.

In forty minutes they were in Mifune's office. Their boss looked eager and ushered them in with a wave of his hand.

"Hideo-sama has requested a meeting with you," he told them. "You're to meet him at this address tonight."

He handed Kakashi a small piece of paper, which he then gave to Sakura. There were just a few lines scribbled on it, the name of a fine restaurant in the center of town and a time.

"I don't think I need to tell you two what an honor it is to meet him in person. Don't screw this up for yourselves. And Sakura, make sure you're wearing a nice dress. He likes them dolled up."

Eye candy. Sidekick. Little girl. Sakura had more than proved her worth as a valuable kunoichi to this dumb prick and yet she was still nothing more than a pleasant decoration to him and rest of his ilk. God, but she couldn't wait to put her delicate little fist through his face.

Kakashi, level-headed and mild as ever, expertly wormed his fingers into her clenched fist and squeezed her hand warmly. "Then if you don't mind, we'll take the afternoon to go shopping."

So the two of them spent the rest of their afternoon in the most civilian way since before this mission had started. They headed to the bustling downtown area where there were several fine shops selling the sort of outfits the evening required. Kakashi played the docile boyfriend, reading  _Icha Icha_  while she tried on a mountain of dresses and asked his opinion on each. She eventually grew frustrated because he would only give her non-committal input like, "Mm" or "It's good."

Of course, it was hard for him to say anything otherwise because there wasn't a single style she couldn't pull off.

"Okay," she huffed from behind the stall door. "This is the last one I'm trying on, so just please give me your honest opinion on it."

Kakashi looked up from his book as he heard the latch open, and he was thankful for his mask because his jaw came unhinged when he saw her, and this shop had no business being so damn hot in December.

Sakura stood before him in a mid-thigh length sheath dress. The material was a deep crimson silk that clung to her every curve as though the maker had envisioned her specifically when making the measurements. The most eye-catching facet of the dress was its neckline, which just covered the dip of her collarbone, and a trapezoid-shaped cutout that provided a tantalizing but not overly revealing glimpse of her cleavage. Sleeveless but just covering her shoulders, it was by far one of the more conservative garments she had tried on today, yet it was the first to make him wish he had a glass of water. Kakashi had always been an "underneath the underneath" kind of guy. Imagining what lie waiting beneath that tight silk was half the fun.

"Yes," he said hoarsely.

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Yes, what?"

"Yes," he repeated, and then cleared his throat as he reminded himself that it was normal to communicate in more than single-word utterances. "Yes to the dress."

His partner looked down at herself doubtfully, needlessly smoothing the material as she gazed at her breasts.

"Really? Maybe with Ino's bust I'd be able to pull it off, but…"

"Ino's chest is nothing but a safety hazard to herself and those around her. Yours is just right. Now let's get going. We still have to talk strategy."

His unexpected compliment coupled with mention of the serious implications of tonight's dinner plans had their intended effect. Kakashi wore a small smile as she changed back into her standard clothes and purchased the devilish dress without hesitation.

Tonight they would be meeting the kumicho, the kingpin who ran all of the syndicate. Thanks to their sleuthing for the past month, they had nearly uncovered every branch of the syndicate and their convoluted connections. Who was in charge of what and where they were was all locked down, except for the leader himself. With tonight's meeting, the last piece of the grand puzzle would hopefully fall into place and they would be able to realize the completion of the mission.

But they would have to be careful. Hideo was known to be cautious to the point of paranoia, rarely showing his face to anyone other than his lieutenants. Sakura and Kakashi had been unable to find a picture of him and so the only thing they knew about his appearance was that he was in his fifties and had a tattoo of a dragon that wrapped around his torso and up his neck.

They planned to walk into the restaurant as though walking into the dragon's lair. Perhaps they had truly won Hideo's trust and would be graced with his presence, but taking his obsessive paranoia into consideration it was possible that they would be heading straight into a trap. To a man like Hideo, killing in private or in front of a slew of bystanders made little difference.

Sakura had never looked lovelier than she did that night in the stunning red dress. She had put her hair into an enchanting updo that bared her neck, and it was a refreshing change from the usual way she wore it. She lamented the fact that the dress was too tight to conceal any kunai and with her hair up she would be unable to hide Katsuyu on the nape of her neck, but Kakashi reassured her. So long as she had her fists and the moonstone bracelet he had given her, she would be able to handle most anything.

"Besides, if all else fails I'll be right there," he added.

Sakura rolled her eyes. His stupid black suit allowed him to conceal any number of weapons on his person. Not that he needed them, anyways. Hatake Kakashi could be armed with nothing but a wet noodle and he'd still be able to take down any foe. It just wasn't fair that some people got all the talent and looks.

And it sure as hell wasn't fair that he didn't have to wear these  _ridiculous_  heels.

"Heels have advantages too," he argued as he fastened his tie that matched the crimson of her dress perfectly. "They're wonderful for gouging out eyes."

The kunoichi just sighed as she tried to do something with his hair, but it resisted her at every turn and after a few moments of running her fingers through it she gave up.

Her hands lingered in his hair for a few seconds longer than strictly necessary, but Kakashi didn't seem to mind. There was a warm and welcoming fire burning in his eyes as he met her gaze.

"You're beautiful," he told her quietly.

Her cheeks flushed pink and she pulled away, flustered by his blunt sincerity. Kakashi hid his intrigue as she muttered something about him looking nice too and busied herself with slipping on her shoes. It wasn't the first time he had complimented her looks when on a mission, but it was the first time she had ever reacted with embarrassment. Perhaps this was a sign that she was growing to want his attraction?

Kakashi vowed to test this theory later as he proffered a crooked arm to her.

She took it with only a very small amount of reluctance and the two of them headed to the restaurant. A ritzy establishment with marble floors, polished wooden tables, and well-dressed waiters, it was a place neither Sakura nor Kakashi would ever choose to go. They were recognized on sight by the maitre d, who took their coats from them and led them into the dining room and past many other stately diners before taking them into a private dining room. Within was a round table with a fine linen tablecloth and a fresh flower arrangement of tansies as the centerpiece.

The little yellow flowers were the last thing on Kakashi's mind, though, as he quickly took notice of all possible exit routes (none but the door they had entered through) and possible traps (no nooks or crannies someone could conceal themselves in).

Three men were sitting at the table with their backs to the two ninja, but Kakashi didn't have to look at their faces to know that two of them were also highly capable ninja while the one in the middle was a civilian. He could tell by the disciplined posture and strong chakra signatures of the two what their profession was, and the third was a bit too portly to be a fighter.

Sakura must have noticed too, because her hand on his arm grew tighter for a brief moment.

The man between the two ninja was in his mid-fifties with neatly trimmed salt and pepper hair. Clean shaven and with sharp but slightly watery blue eyes, his presence commanded respect despite his shorter stature. There were two sets of eyes turning their perceptive gaze towards the Konoha nin—both his and those of the tattooed dragon that snaked up his chest to just peek out from the collar of his shirt.

The two ninja on either side of him were closer to Kakashi's age, male, and stone-faced. They wore no hitai-ate, but with their dark complexions Sakura was willing to bet that they hailed from Suna or Iwa. Both of them were garbed not in the fine suits the establishment demanded per dress code but subdued black and brown shirt and pants that were loose enough to hide tools of the trade but not baggy enough to become a hindrance.

The Copy Nin and the Hokage's apprentice sat down opposite the three, looking for all the world as though they were looking forward to a simple meal and not anticipating an assault.

"Thank you for inviting us to dine with you," Sakura said politely. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

Hideo gave a nod. "You two have done much to help our organization in the past month," he said in a voice that was much less gruffer than Sakura had imagined it would be. "You came to us at a very opportune time. The ninja we had employed until now up and left without notice a few days before you arrived at Mifune's looking for work."

This was not good news. Though it had been a complete coincidence, it made their appearance suspiciously fortuitous.

"So you are Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura, the Copy Nin and the Hokage's own apprentice," Hideo continued, giving them a hard stare as though trying to look through their eyes and into their minds. "Why did you come here? Why us specifically?"

Kakashi gave the explanation they had memorized down to the last syllable. "Relationships between a student and teacher, even a former teacher, are strictly forbidden in Konoha. We were found out and given the option of leaving the village or living the rest of our lives there as disgraced civilians. We chose the outside where we could be completely free to be together."

Sakura continued, "We came here because we figured it would be a job that would provide minimal chance of engaging with the people we still care about in Konoha."

A frown curved the man's lips, and neither were sure whether it was due to consideration or doubt. Several waiters entered the room just then with many trays of steaming food on silver platters and bottles of wine which they uncorked and poured, and the ensuing silence settled around them like a thick and unpleasant smog. Her stomach seemed to be filling with slowly but surely with lead each passing second.

Coming here had been a grave mistake.

With a deep bow all of the waiters excused themselves the door closed behind them with a soft  _click_  that could have been confused for a detonator.

"A toast," Hideo said with a leering smile as he lifted a glass, "to your new careers with us."

Drinking or eating anything before them was the absolute last thing Kakashi and Sakura wanted to do, especially because neither of Hideo's bodyguards were touching theirs, but the hard glint in Hideo's eyes made it clear that declining was not an option. This was an exercise of trust.

The red wine in Sakura's glass was the same deep ruby as blood and as she raised it to her lips she took a surreptitious whiff but could detect nothing off. Of course, if either of these jounin were up to snuff with their poisons it would be simple for them to make a scentless, tasteless paralytic agent.

"To a new life," Kakashi said lightly, and tipped the glass up to his lips to drink through his mask.

Sakura followed suit, hyper alert for the slightest hint of something awry. Thanks to her training with Tsunade and Shizune she had grown immune to most poisons, or resistant enough that they couldn't cripple her, but the same couldn't be said for Kakashi.

The bitter tang of wormwood was immediate, and Kakashi slumped out of his chair beside her, instantly rendered unconscious. Panic flooded through her at the sight of her partner on the ground, but there was no time to treat him. Hideo was laughing as the two jounin rose to their feet, and it was time to fight. It seemed that they hadn't won Hideo's trust after all.

She tossed Kakashi over her shoulder and punched her way out of the back wall of the room. Before the plaster dust could settle upon her she had darted outside and down the bustling streets. There was no hope of defeating a jounin when she was carrying Kakashi like this, so her best bet was to at least get away from civilians and hope he would wake up soon. His pulse was shallow and he was clammy to the touch.

"You lazy bum," she muttered as she took to the roofs to avoid the full streets. "Don't you dare die."

The one nin in pursuit of her followed easily, throwing a barrage of kunai and senbon that she avoided with skilled dodges to the left and right as she zigzagged from rooftop to rooftop toward the beaches to the northeast, which she knew would be closed to the public at this time of night. The other was presumably still with Hideo back at the restaurant.

If it were one-on-one, Sakura felt confident in her ability to beat them. But if the second one showed up she'd be in trouble. She had to neutralize this shinobi as soon as possible.

When the roofs ended she alighted onto the sandy beach, cursing the stupid heels she had decided to wear as she sank into the sand until her chakra control righted itself. She leaned Kakashi against a large piece of driftwood where he would hopefully be out of harm's way and his head lolled uselessly.

"Your partner's not too good with his drink," the jounin said with a haughty smirk.

"I'll make up for that," she promised, and charged at him full speed.

The nin must have known of her and her basic abilities because he made sure to avoid any hit of hers with deft swirls and leaps, causing her punches and kicks to hit the ground and create massive geysers that rained sand down upon them. He was unexpectedly fast but seemed to have no secret abilities up his sleeve. He was much like Kakashi, capable of fast bursts of taijutsu and several impressive Katon that she had managed to barely avoid with a few kawarimi jutsu.

Sakura's frustration began to reach a boiling point when, still unable to land any decent attacks on him, he managed to slash a long cut down her arm with a kunai. This was going nowhere fast. He was just too quick for her.

Channeling chakra to her wound, she put some distance between her foe with a couple jumps backward. A quick glance at Kakashi revealed he was still unconscious, but his breathing seemed a bit more regular than before.

"Alright," she muttered. "I'm done playing around."

"Oh? That's good because I was starting to get bored. For being the Hokage's apprentice, you're not near as capable as I thought you'd be."

Sakura gritted her teeth as she kicked off her heels and tossed them beside Kakashi. She'd prove to him and everyone else just how far she'd come.

Her hands flew through a few seals she had memorized by heart, and she watched in delight as the jounin's eyes grew wide and the sand began to wrap up his legs and torso like anacondas. He twisted and struggled to get loose, but his hands had also been bound by the treacherous grains so he was unable to cast a jutsu that would allow him to escape.

"You only needed three seals," he groaned. "How…?"

Sakura readied her chakra scalpels as she approached him. "Y'know, I haven't met a single opponent who hasn't underestimated me. I wonder what I have to do to get people to take me seriously."

He redoubled his fruitless efforts to escape from the bind, but there was no way short of a miracle that he could break her jutsu. She had spent three months in Suna refining her Doton jutsu with the help of Gaara so that she could command sand just as well as she could command soil. While she would never be able to manipulate it with the same natural ease as the Kazekage, it had become easy enough that she only needed to form about fifteen percent of the seals for a Doton jutsu.

"Hideo-sama will be displeased if you kill me," the jounin said desperately.

"Hmm. Well, being as he was fine with killing Kakashi and me I don't really care if my actions upset him," Sakura hummed. She was standing before him now, and her sand had encased his entire body up to his collarbone, leaving his neck fully exposed. One quick slash and his life would be over.

Sakura never enjoyed killing, but it seemed to get a little easier each time. The remorse had been tempered with the knowledge that on the other side of the scale of life was death. She would save a life and it would all balance out at the end of the day. Now, it was only children that could evoke her guilt.

She raised her hand, sheathed in blue chakra and poised to cut his head off in a single motion, when suddenly there was a  _whoosh_  and the glint of steel shooting at her. With a growl of irritation she stepped back to avoid the shuriken.

Hideo and his bodyguard had appeared. The kumicho intended their battle royale to be his entertainment for the night, if his leering grin was anything to go off of.

"How the hell'd you manage to get yourself caught like that?" the newcomer asked his partner.

"Shut up and get me out of it!" he snarled.

But the pink-haired kunoichi had no intention of letting such a thing happen. Kneading her chakra once more, she created a dome of sand to encase the first shinobi, who swore loudly from within. His partner aimed a few strong kicks at it, but any dent he made was instantly smoothed back over with additional sand.

"You're more decent at ninjutsu than the Bingo Book indicates," the nin said, giving up.

"Thanks. And who are you guys? You know who we both are."

"I'm Tomo and that idiot you captured is Yasunori. Sorry to cut the chat short but our boss wants us to kill you both quickly. It's either you or us that he'll employ, you see."

So  _that_  was the kind of man Hideo was. He'd have his men die for the honor to serve for him. Sakura couldn't wait until it came time to crush him and his organization.

And now she knew that in order to get close to him, they would have to kill and defeat these two jounin.

She spared another glance toward Kakashi in the distance behind her, who was still doing a stunning impersonation of a barnacle.

Sinking into a ready stance, Tomo steadied the sheath of the katana at his hip with one hand while the other poised over the hilt. She bit back a groan. Bukijutsu had never been her specialty, and it looked like he was a battoujutsu user at that, which meant that his moves would be fast and hard to predict.

_Kakashi, you lazy asshole, you better wake up and pull you weight fast,_  she thought to herself with a growl, and cracked the knuckles of her fists. She began packing chakra into the flesh over her vital points, preparing for the event that he landed a hit so she could heal quickly, and then she charged at him.

She stomped a foot into the ground and sent a cloud of sand into the air, momentarily obscuring her opponent's vision. By the time the sand fell back to the ground there were now two of each of them and both Sakura's ran at the Tomo's. Which was real and which was the clone was anyone's best guess, but Sakura had her money that he had created a third and had hid himself elsewhere. In the lapping waves, perhaps.

The two Tomo's both swept their swords up and out of their sheathes in unison as Sakura raised her arm up to block it. The swords hit against the moonstone bracelet with a sharp sound and then Sakura aimed a powerful kick to the jounin's stomach. Both of them took the hit and turned into water, and Sakura swore as her shadow clone vanished and she heard the hiss of metal screaming through the air toward her from behind.

She couldn't see him, but she knew that the real Tomo was going to cut her in twain and so she dove to the right to avoid him.

But his attack hadn't been intended for her. His sword, coated with wind chakra, instead pierced the sandy cocoon his partner had been entrapped in and it broke away like an eggshell to reveal the partner, freeing him completely of both of her jutsu.

_Shit._

Now it was two on one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ...and a lovely little cliffhanger for you. I really love writing fight scenes. Also, in the language of flowers, tansies represent "resistance" or "I declare against you." At the beginning of this chapter Kakashi revealed some new information about Sakura. What did you think about these developments? They are quite a departure from canon, so I'd love to hear your input. And what do you think Sasuke did to make Sakura hate him so much? Let me know in a comment.
> 
> Thanks again for reading and see you next week!


	15. Eight Million Gods and the Serpent

Sakura was a strong and capable kunoichi. Had she the time, she could have defeated them one-on-one. But two jounin against one was unfair, especially when she had to make sure they didn't try to use Kakashi against her.

"Alright," the newly released Yasunori said with a hateful glower. "Let's get this finished."

She threw the moonstone bracelet at the two of them with all of her might and it whizzed straight off her wrist and toward them with the speed and power of a comet, glowing and sizzling with her chakra. One of them foolishly tried to deflect it with a kunai, but it went straight through the steel and ripped a deep gash into his right arm before looping back around to its owner.

"You bitch!" Yasunori screamed as red slipped between fingers that clutched at his wound.

The bracelet made a graceful arc back toward Sakura but then flew straight past her. To the wonderment of the the two nin and Hideo who was watching from the sidelines, the hitherto catatonic Hatake Kakashi effortlessly caught the bracelet on an upraised index finger and rose to his feet.

"Took you long enough," Sakura snapped.

He twirled the innocent-looking bracelet on his finger as he ambled toward her, looking as if he had just woken from a lovely nap. "We can't all have the same immunity to poison as you do."

"How is he moving? He should be dead by now!" Tomo shouted in outrage.

Sakura smirked as Katsuyu inched onto her partner's shoulder. Going to a restaurant to meet the enemy meant that poison was almost certainly going to be used and the two had prepared accordingly.

Kakashi slid the bracelet back onto her wrist and leveled the battoujutsu user with a hard look as he withdrew his tanto. "The real question is why  _you're_  both still moving. Were you waiting to finish them off until I woke up? You're so thoughtful."

She gave him a scathing look as she retorted, "You've got to do something to earn your keep."

"Oh, I think I do more than enough to satisfy you," he said with a teasingly cocked eyebrow.

"I'll run you through with your own tanto," she vowed.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"Then go kill them!" Sakura all but yelled.

Kakashi gave her a careless salute and said, "Yes, boss," but there was a determined glint in his eyes as he focused on the sword wielder.

In the next moment, he was nothing but a blur zooming across the sand and towards his opponent, whose eyes grew wide as he hastened to sink into a defensive stance.

But Sakura didn't have the luxury of spectating tonight—Yasunori had created a massive dragon of fire that was screaming toward her. Pointless, as water was her other affinity, unless he was aiming for a battle of attrition. Which would also be meaningless because she had the seal on her forehead at full power.

The clang of steel sounded in the background as her own water dragon devoured the enemy's with a tumultuous hiss, and a new wind blew at Sakura's back. With Kakashi fighting beside her there was virtually no foe they couldn't take down.

Sakura landed a punch on what she knew would turn out to be a kage bunshin of Yasunori and then stomped on the ground directly beneath where the clone had been standing.

"Jesus Christ, you're so butch!" the nin cried from within the sand, but then he laughed. "But that's no matter now."

She felt a strong hand wrap around her ankle and she swore as from within the depths of the sand he summoned fire to his hand and scorched the flesh of her leg.

Did this asshole have any idea what a hassle it was to heal a burn? This beach would become his grave.

Sakura flew through the seals and yelled, "Doton! Sand Burial!"

It had been very unwise of this shinobi to fully enter the sand. He had less than a half-second to escape before it crushed him into bits even finer than the grains, and even though her leg hurt like none other she mustered a smile because she had won—

And then the fiery hand that was currently burning away flesh and sinew yanked her downward.

He intended to kill her too.

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm at his pure strength and will as her legs sank into the ground and she squeezed her eyes shut.

But an arm was suddenly around her waist and she was pulled out of the sand just before it compacted as though a black hole had been created within the depths and it was all being sucked toward the center of it. The enemy didn't even have a chance to scream.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked as he sat her down a few yards away.

Sakura took a shaky breath. That had been a closer call than she liked. "Yeah."

"Your leg—can you still fight?"

"Buy me five minutes and yes," she promised. She looked him over with hawkish precision, checking for any injuries he was hiding from her. Satisfied that he was still no worse for wear, she gave him a confident smile.

Kakashi fixed her with warm eyes full of something promising, and his fingers lingered on her wrist and the bracelet he had given her for a moment before he was gone again.

She crouched down in the sand and immediately focused on healing the vicious burn on her leg, channelling as much chakra as was safe and beginning the laborious process of creating muscle and skin. She couldn't afford to think about what on earth Kakashi was doing looking at her so tenderly in the middle of a battle, and she also couldn't afford to wonder why it had made her so damn  _happy._

Kakashi was doing a fine job of holding the jounin off on his own, alternating between fierce bouts of swordplay and ninjutsu. But his opponent was far more talented than his partner had been and seemed to be further invigorated by his death. He fought back viciously, never giving Kakashi an opening to land a finishing blow.

Her leg was all but healed and Kakashi needed backup. The swordsman was so intent on keeping up with Kakashi's attacks that he had completely forgotten about Sakura, who grinned as she kneaded her chakra and made a couple quick hand signs. The sand at the ninja's feet began to churn and swirl wildly, causing him to swear and lose his footing while providing Kakashi with the perfect opening.

Without any warning whatsoever, a coldness shot through Sakura. But this was different from the late fall chill of the sea breeze; this was an icicle thrust between her ribs that robbed her lungs of air. This was the cold one felt as the last bit of life trickled out of them, the cold of despair.

She knew this aura better than any other—spending as much of her life as she had searching for it, she'd be a fool not to recognize it.

In the blink of an eye she had appeared before Hideo and parried a kunai with her own. The old man was trembling like a leaf, and before her towered an oppressive, black forest of a man.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I came to see if the rumors were true."

That bored voice set her teeth on edge. She kept her eyes firmly fixed on his leather sandals, half-expecting them to burst into flames from the intensity of her revulsion alone.

"That Kakashi and I are in love? Of course they are. Why else would Tsunade get rid of two of her best shinobi?"

"I thought perhaps it was just a ruse for a mission."

This  _idiot._  The target of their entire mission was so close to Sakura she could feel his breath on her back and here he was baldly stating the truth.

"No, it's no ruse," Sakura said curtly, pressing back on the kunai.

He was unrelenting. "Step aside so I can kill this man."

"No," she refused. "We're working for him now. Kakashi and I will protect him and his interests with our lives."

"You don't think you actually have a chance of beating me, do you?" he snorted.

The kunoichi fought the urge to spit in his face. She didn't know if she could defeat the last Uchiha, but she would happily give it her best effort.

The next half-second was a flurry. She shoved Hideo far away and out of the line of fire, brought chakra to her foot as she stamped down to obscure Sasuke's vision with sand, and then cast a jutsu that would keep the sand in the air as a fog. His Rinnegan wouldn't be able to pierce the dust, nor should his Sharingan. She could hear Kakashi calling for her but she ignored him. Right now she had to focus on Sasuke's chakra so she wouldn't lose him.

They said that you had to be a sensor type to pick up on other's chakra, but that wasn't necessarily true. If you spent enough time around someone or if your feelings towards them were visceral enough, you could always sense them. Like knowing who was approaching by their footfalls alone, Sakura simply knew where he was. The cold he carried with him was easier to track than the moon or stars.

He was coming for her faster than quicksilver. She sank into the sand and then emerged with three earth clones, all of which met him with their fists that he easily deflected with serpents that wrapped around their arms and necks until they were crushed back to oblivion.

But that was fine. They had served their intended purpose.

She thrust her bleeding hand to the ground and summoned all eight of her komainu, who immediately got into a V formation with Jin, Tomo, and Yasu at the forefront.

"He's coming," Tada growled, digging his claws into the sand.

"Good. Give him everything you got," snarled Sakura.

All eight of them crowded around their master in a circle and each extended his dog-like tail to a different part of her body. The Hokage's apprentice squeezed her eyes shut as she brought every last drop of her available chakra to the surface and aligned it with the flow of each of her summons.

Sasuke's icy presence was approaching from eleven o'clock, but he wouldn't get close to her. With a roar that echoed with her komainus' own, her aquamarine eyes shot open and they released their chakra in one perfectly timed burst. Earth, Water, Fire, Lightning, Wind, Yin, Yang, and Nature release all came out in one great torrent of colors, sparks, and flames through Sakura's right palm. The streams of raw energy came together to create one monumental beam powerful enough to obliterate anything in its path. It surged straight and steady towards her foe, as intent on destruction as its master was. Even Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't be able to survive this blast if he were hit with it. The Yaoyorozu No Kami Jutsu was the strongest jutsu that the komainu could produce with their summoner, and Sakura was the first to have completed it after years of gruelling practice.

The beam of blindingly hot power blasted away the sand she had used as fog and what Sakura would have given to see the rare look of unbridled alarm on the Uchiha's face as he beheld the weakest member of Team 7's prowess.

She watched as his feet left the ground and he soared up into the sky. As if it would be that easy to avoid her attack. With her left hand gripping the wrist of her right to steady it, she dragged it to follow his path. Either he was reluctant to use his Rinnegan or he wasn't able to banish so much raw power to another dimension, because he continued to dart back and forth on a cloud of snakes rather than deflect her attack.

Being a conduit to such a terrible amount of chakra was akin to being struck by lightning continually. Sakura could feel her insides scorching from the raw energy that her summons were pouring into her and the flesh of her palm was turning black and necrotic. Soon it would melt away her flesh and bone—she needed to land a hit on him fast.

She hadn't been able to do it until now, but she had never needed the ability more. Though her concentration was already on keeping her chakra in sync with the komainu, she broke off a piece of it to make one lone seal with her left hand as sweat dripped down her brow and she fought for breath.

Six kage bunshin appeared to surround Sasuke on all sides and from above and below in midair, each aiming a punch or kick for his vital areas. He withdrew his sword to cut them down, but that hair's breadth of a moment was all she had needed to lock onto him.

The black of death was spreading past her wrist but she didn't care as she finally aligned the maelstrom of power with the Uchiha. With this, her greatest betrayer would be no more and she would be free.

But then Sasuke simply vanished. As if he had been a mirage, his presence left the battlefield and she could no longer see his sandals or snakes. She closed her fist as she snapped off the flow of chakra she had synced with her summons and instantly the beam of white-hot energy ceased to be. Her summons, drained of their chakra, all returned to their realm and she collapsed to her knees onto sand that had been turned to jagged waves of glass from the sheer heat of the jutsu.

Everything from the tip of her fingers to her mid-forearm was blacker than pitch and she swore as the pain began to take hold of her body with its clawed hands of fire. She had kept this technique secret from everyone until now, knowing that it would be made a Forbidden Jutsu as soon as they learned the damage it wreaked on the user's body.

"Very impressive."

The cold was at her back, as was that unaffected baritone that made her heart hurt. She could feel the razor edge of Sasuke's sword at her neck.

Sakura smiled, but it was bitter. "There was a time I would have died of happiness hearing such words from you," she mused softly.

"Mm. You were always easy to please," he noted, and the blade slid against her neck just enough to create a fine trickle of red blood. "Now come home to Konoha with me."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, unable to make sense of him. He had ordered her to let him kill Hideo not three minutes ago, and now he was ordering her to come home with him?

"You will return to Konoha with me. You don't belong here doing a henchman's work."

"And what about Kakashi?"

"He can do whatever he wants, but your place is with us."

Sakura's chakra had been reduced to nothing but dregs but with the last burst she swirled into action.

As fast as—no, perhaps even faster—than the Uchiha could react, the remaining three kage bunshin she had created to trap him in place surfaced from their hiding place directly beneath her, bursting through the waves of sand-turned-glass in a cacophony of glittering shards. The real Sakura used this chance to shift behind her old teammate and pierce his spine with a kunai. The blood that spilled forth from the blade and dyed his gray shirt crimson was much more satisfying than she could have anticipated.

"My place," she hissed in his ear, "will never be with you."

He gave a sharp gasp and in the next moment was gone. Confident that with a mortal wound like that he would not reappear, Sakura fell onto her back and fought to keep conscious as it felt like her body was consumed by black flames. On top of her blackened forearm, any flesh that directly touched her chakra pathways was just as damaged as her hand.

"Sakura!"

Kakashi was at her side, looking more concerned than she had ever seen him. "What was that technique? What did it do to you?"

His gloved hands were all over her—smoothing back pink strands that had fallen from her updo, wiping sweat from her sandy brow, feeling her body for broken bones. It did nothing to take away the agony gnawing her insides.

"Yaoyorozu no Kami Jutsu. That jutsu is the reason I chose the komainu as my second summons," she said in between pants. "The most releases anyone has been capable of before me was three, but I perfected it." A grin curled her lips until a jolt like lightning lanced through her and she whimpered.

"What point is there in mastering a jutsu if it does  _this_  to you?" Kakashi bit out. "Can't you heal it?"

"I  _am_  healing it. The seal is working." The lavender diamond on her forehead was shrinking at a rate that was invisible to the human eye, but Sakura could feel its chakra trickling out and through her pathways like a cool mountain stream to quench the flames the jutsu had set alight within her.

Hideo was approaching them, making his way trepidatiously across the beach that looked more like a foreign planet with the sand turned to a ruddy glass.

"We're not through discussing this," her partner whispered lowly against her cheek.

At some point in the battle it seemed that the leader of the crime syndicate had been robbed of the ability to speak. He stared at both the ninja with eyes as wide as saucers, and the frigid, in-control demeanor he had had at the restaurant was long gone.

"Hideo-sama," Kakashi said with a reverent bow of his head. "I hope that this secures your trust in our loyalty. Sakura defended you against Uchiha Sasuke, owner of the Rinnegan and our former teammate."

The man shook his head as if to dispel his silence and cleared his throat. "Is he gone?"

"Yes," Sakura assured him.

Hideo fell quiet once more. He didn't seem to know what to say.

"Shall I escort you back home?" Kakashi asked, but the sharp edge to his question made it sound less like an offer and more of a command.

"Y-yes."

He summoned a kage bunshin which left with their boss in tow, and the real Kakashi resumed smoothing sweaty locks of pink hair from her face, his brow knit in a combination of bewilderment and anger.

He accused, "You hid this jutsu from me."

"Yes." There was no point in lying to him. "From everyone."

"You can never use it again. I forbid it and Tsunade will too."

"I know."

"How many years has this shaved off your life?"

Sakura frowned. This was the least pleasant part of the jutsu. "I can't predict how long I would live anyways—"

"Don't give me that," he snapped, and Sakura was surprised to see his dark eyes spark with seldom-seen fury. "You know how many times the average cell can divide before it dies. How much time have you lost?"

She closed her eyes, unable to meet his betrayed glare. "Two or three years," she admitted softly.

"And for what? So you could nearly murder the teammate that we spent years trying to save? What the fuck were you thinking?"

Sakura flinched at his words, unused to such raw emotion from the Copy Nin and even more unused to it being directed at her.

This was a man who had had both of his teammates stolen from him by the cruel workings of Fate, a man whose every action was based around the core belief that friends and teammates came before all else. Even if she explained it all, how the person they had brought back home with them all those years ago had lost not only his arm but also his heart, how the person she had built up to be her end-all-be-all had turned out to be nothing but a poison for which she had no antidote, he wouldn't understand.

"You hate him," Kakashi said. "I know it, Naruto knows it, Tsunade knows it. What happened between you four years ago?"

She remained in an obstinate silence.

Always level-headed Kakashi seemed to have snapped. He let loose on her, spitting out his words at her like a volley of senbon.

"I've known you for ten years and yet I don't really know you at all. You're such a talented actress that I doubt even the Hokage realizes how tall the wall you've built around your heart is. You don't allow yourself any friends, you don't speak to what family you have left, you try to murder your teammate and you keep secrets from me, whatever I am to you now. It's one thing to enjoy your privacy; it's an entirely different thing to deceive the ones who care for you."

His bitter tirade fell upon her like arrows and despite herself she felt a couple hot tears slide down her cheeks.

"I don't understand why you keep everyone at arm's length," he continued. "I don't know why you refuse to let anyone in when you've never lost something crucial enough to warrant such insularity in the first place."

A sob broke her trembling lips and she hated herself for it. The burn from the jutsu had faded to a dull thrum but now an entirely new and much more vicious pain was in its place. It radiated from her heart and made it feel like her chest would be wrent in two.

"I  _have_  lost," she cried. "I lost my trust and my dreams and it was  _him_  who ripped them from me."

Kakashi gave a frustrated sigh at her enigmatic answer and she heard him rise to his feet. Fear seized her when she opened her eyes to see him stepping away from her, his back turned and and his shoulders set in a resolute slump.

Desperately she reached for him with her good hand and just managed to brush the back of his sandal. "Kakashi, please don't leave me. You're the only one—the only one I trust."

As if debating the veracity of her words he was still for a few moments, but when he turned to face her he was met with nothing but frightened sincerity in her teary gaze.

"Please, Kakashi," she begged.

The hard frown twisting his brow melted into sympathy and he sat down beside her once more. Sakura immediately sought out his hand and wrapped her fingers tightly around it. They sat in a fragile silence there on the cold beach for what felt like an eternity as Sakura's insides were slowly but surely brought back to their original condition by the Seal.

Kakashi broke the silence with a promise that was both measured and sure. "If you want us to stay together, as partners, as friends, as lovers, you have to be honest with me. I won't tolerate deception."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," she swore fervently, "but I won't talk about what happened between Sasuke and me. Anything but that."

The look he gave her was part irritated and part lost before he closed his eyes tiredly. "I'll have to take what I can get for now."

Sakura squeezed his hand in thanks and he returned it with a gentle squeeze of his own. The warmth of his grasp seeped into her bones and she felt gratitude from her very core.

* * *

"Patient" and "forgiving" had never been words used to describe Tsunade. And in her old age, she found them even less applicable. All she really wanted to do was have one goddamn day where no one was coming to her with an emergency and one night that she could sleep until sunrise without an urgent message or request.

Alas, she had only closed her eyes for a few minutes when a knock came at the door.

"Tsunade-sama, an urgent message."

"For fuck's sake," the blonde hissed and then sat up and turned the lights on to her chambers. "What?"

"The Uchiha has returned with a critical injury. Shizune has asked for your assistance with treatment."

Several things about the ANBU operative's words troubled her. Hastily she donned her haori and smoothed her hair before dashing to the hospital with the masked man in tow. When she had received the report that the last Uchiha had stormed out of Konoha after learning of Sakura and Kakashi's fake relationship, she had worried that he would fall back into the darkness. Three weeks later and ANBU had been unable to find him—he had learned how to cover his tracks just as well as Orochimaru. And now he had apparently returned with an injury grievous enough her first apprentice was unable to treat it. Exactly what had happened?

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune looked up from the patient and to her shishou, who walked into the operating room with the power and presence of a hurricane. Sasuke lay prostrate on an operating table, a kunai wedged in deep between his third and fourth lumbar vertebrae.

"Who did this?" demanded Tsunade as she sent a bit of diagnostic chakra to the area around the kunai to assess the condition of his spinal cord and surrounding organs. She couldn't think of a single person who possessed the ability to catch the Rinnegan user unawares.

Sasuke gave a soft chuckle. "You don't recognize your apprentice's own work?"

"Don't be stupid, boy. Sakura doesn't have the skillset to defeat you."

"This isn't defeat," he said flatly, "and she nearly killed herself to land this hit on me. To think that she would come this far from the insipid girl she was…"

The Hokage had half a mind to wiggle the kunai around in the wound. She had never tolerated his vagaries, and tonight she was feeling even less generous.

"Is my apprentice in danger?" she demanded.

"Not so long as she has the Seal and Kakashi," was his casual reply. "Are you going to remove this kunai at some point?"

"I'll remove it so I can jam it back in another vital point if you don't tell me every last detail of what happened," hissed the Hokage.

Sasuke gave a put-upon sigh. "I decided to assess whether the rumor of their relationship was true and found them in Erimo. Sakura made an impressive attempt on my life when I tried to bring her back here, injuring herself in the process."

"Why would she try to kill you?"

"I threatened to kill the man they're working for."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. This idiot child had nearly sabotaged the mission and didn't even know it. Whoever said the Uchiha Clan was genius was full of shit.

Unceremoniously she tugged out the kunai and he didn't so much as flinch. Immediately she began the delicate operation of knitting his nearly completely severed spinal cord back together until it was whole.

Sasuke was unusually talkative as she healed him, and she wondered briefly whether it was due to the painkillers.

"I used to think that she was a worthless girl who had no business in the world of shinobi," he said. "But she's become the best kunoichi in all of the Five Nations right under my nose."

"Of course she has," the blonde said proudly. "As my protege it's only expected."

It was a good job that Tsunade had finished the sensitive chakra manipulation because she would have likely lost her control and maimed him upon hearing his next words.

"I'm going to marry her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's my favorite of this story so far, and I would be thrilled to get your input on this chapter. It was hard to write the fight scene from Sakura's point of view because she can't make eye contact with Sasuke and can only study his footwork, which makes it harder to describe what he is doing. How did I handle it? I'd also love to know what you thought of the chapter ending in a comment if you can spare the time.
> 
> Thanks always always for reading, favoriting, following, and leaving comments. Each notification makes my whole day. And thank you to my lovely beta, without whom I wouldn't have the courage to post this story. 
> 
> The holidays are coming up and I am expecting to be a bit busy. I am hoping to be able to post the next chapter on schedule next Friday, but I may be a week late. Thank you again for reading another chapter, and stay tuned for the next one!


	16. Buddha and the Dandelion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and that the new year holds much joy for you. Thanks again to my lovely beta and dear friend Moonlight_Lily. Enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 16  
Buddha and the Dandelion

Once Sakura had healed herself enough that Kakashi could carry her without causing her additional injury he took them to a hotel in the center of town where the beds were bigger and the baths were private. He helped her bathe in a way that didn't aggravate her arm that was still black as ink and then tucked her into the large and soft bed. Though his actions demonstrated his concern and tenderness, the silence that stretched between them the entire time like a bridgeless canyon gave shape to the deep reservations he now held.

After tonight's events, Kakashi had to renegotiate how he felt about the woman beside him. He had thought that there were no secrets between them, and in the span of fifteen minutes he had learned that his sweet blossom harbored enough hatred in her to kill the very teammate she had loved and chased after for years. Perhaps he should have known that she was capable of such a thing; she had, after all, been the one to decide it was in the best interest of Konoha to kill him during his darkest days.

He burned to know exactly what Sasuke had done to warp her undying devotion for him into such vitriolic loathing. Kakashi had watched their fight unfold from the sidelines, knowing that if he jumped in he would only be killed in the crossfire. She was likely unaware, but the look of calculated malice on her face as she rammed the kunai into his back rivaled that of Sasuke's at his evilest moments. She had intended to kill him if given the chance, and she had risked her life and deceived her partner and mentor in order to do it.

The chilling difference between them was that Sasuke, deranged and bent on revenge as he had been, had never hidden his objectives from anyone. He had made it clear the first time Kakashi met him that he intended to kill his brother no matter the cost. But Sakura had hidden her plans under her warm smile and healing hands for...Kakashi couldn't even guess how long.

And he had no idea what else she was hiding from him.

Careful of her thickly bandaged hand and forearm, she scooted closer to him so that she could tip her forehead against his arm. Customarily he would hold her to him, but tonight he didn't move an inch.

"Tell me what you're thinking," she whispered, and her soft voice filled the spacious room.

He took a long moment to put his thoughts into a semblance of coherency. "To put it simply, after tonight I don't know what other secrets you have."

Kakashi could feel her take a shuddering breath at his words. No doubt it was painful to her, as she trusted him implicitly.

"Ask me anything and I'll tell you the truth," she swore.

"What happened to make you want to kill Sasuke?"

"He turned me into a little paper doll and shredded it," she answered in a trembling breath. "Please don't ask me for anything further."

It was another crooked answer, but from the way her entire body quivered as she fought back tears he was compelled to believe that it was sincere.

"Why didn't you tell me about that jutsu?"

"I knew you'd forbid me from using it. But I worked so hard to complete it and I'm the only one who can use it because I have the Seal of a Hundred."

It was truly an impressive feat for her to have mastered the Yaoyorozu no Kami Jutsu. Having never met anyone who used them, Kakashi had researched komainu after she chose them. Unlike his ninken or Naruto's toads, the komainu were not a tribe or family that produced offspring. They were eight brothers who had lived for longer than anyone could guess, swearing allegiance only to the most fiercely determined and talented shinobi that sought them out. They were seldom picked as summons because the chances of them picking the human back were so slim.

The eight komainu weren't so much dogs as they were spirits. Some argued that they were gods, but Kakashi found it hard to believe that gods would condescend to allow humans to harness them as such. On top of being a physical manifestation of a different chakra type, each one embodied a different trait: loyalty, wisdom, duty, gratitude, faith, respect, and servitude. Fiercely protective of their master and capable of a myriad of attacks guaranteed to hobble even the most gifted shinobi, they were a good choice for a medic who was responsible for keeping herself and the injured safe.

The summoner had the choice of calling forth any number of the eight brothers at a given time and could either command them to battle or protect in her stead or could use collaboration jutsu with them. Summoners in the past had allied with the komainu whose chakra complemented their affinities best, but the ultimate collaboration technique was the hitherto hypothetical Yaoyorozu no Kami Jutsu, also known as the Eight Million Gods Technique. The shinobi synced with all the komainu and allowed their chakra to flow through her body where it then was mixed and amplified by the user's own chakra and will. The concentration needed to become one with a single summons was decent, and there was likely only one person in a lifetime who could sync with eight entities at once.

The Yaoyorozu no Kami Jutsu was easily Kage level. Kakashi understood why she had worked so hard to master it and why she had kept it a secret—it was a pity that she had become capable of such power only to be forbidden from using it. She spent her life doing everything she could to reach the same level as her teammates only to be told she wasn't allowed to stand on even ground with them.

Kakashi continued with his questions. He wanted to know everything while she was in a forthcoming mood. "Why did you hide the fact that you can cast one-handed jutsu? And with only one hand seal, at that."

"I didn't know if I could," she answered. "It's true that I've been unsuccessful at one-handed jutsu so far, but I think the adrenaline gave me the push I needed."

There was one more question that had been eating at him from the moment she had whispered into the Uchiha's ear. "You told Sasuke that your place would never be with him. What did you mean?"

Sakura bit her lip. She had promised him to be truthful, but how could she be when even  _she_  wasn't sure what she had meant by that? The adrenaline and pain had been like a drug, rushing through her and making her light-headed. All she had known at that moment was that she wanted to give Sasuke all the hurt he had given her and more.

"Sasuke said he was going to take me 'home.' Like I belong in Konoha with him and Naruto," she said after a long pause. "And maybe that used to be true. But home isn't four walls and a roof. It's somewhere that makes you feel safe and sure. It's when there's a thunderstorm outside but you don't care because you're cozy and wanted. I don't know how or when it happened, but you've become that place to me."

Kakashi had to remind himself to exhale. She was staring up at him with a sincerity that was as earnest and fragile as the tufts of a dandelion, and he could either shelter it or let it be carried off in the wind.

He did what he had wanted to do ever since he pulled her out of the enemy nin's clutches and rescued her from a sandy grave, what his heart had compelled him to do from the moment he saw her become a goddess of might and determination as she turned her ferocity onto her foe.

Kakashi kissed her, putting everything he didn't have the courage to say into each swirl of his tongue and each caress of his hand. She all but melted into him with a soft sigh and though the two of them were both exhausted they were overcome with the need to reaffirm their feelings in the only way that they knew how.

It wasn't romantic and it wasn't grandiose, but it was unadulterated and more than anything it was  _real._  There was no pretense of eliminating distractions or keeping up their ruse. For the very first time, they were just a man and a woman longing to make their emotions tangible.

He opened her yukata and her breasts spilled out like gifts free from wrapping, but he was so caught up in the green oceans within her gaze that he hardly noticed. With her good hand she reached up to undo his obi and he tugged it and the yukata off lest they get in his way. When he settled down between her legs so that his desire pressed against her inviting entrance he had to resist the urge to roll his hips forward and begin their usual wanton dance. Tonight wasn't about slaking their lust—it was about making a promise.

The two of them writhed against one another as they kissed desperately, relishing the heat that the teasing slide of their love created within their cores. Sakura threaded her fingers through his shaggy silver hair and crooked her legs, beckoning him to complete her. With each rock of his hips his cock glided between her folds until the craving was so strong she could nearly sob.

"Kakashi," she begged.

He had always been able to read her. He had always known what she needed, and he had not once let her down. His dark eyes were warm and cherishing as he gave her another kiss. With a deft movement the tip of his length was breaching her, stretching and filling her in a way that only he could. The two of them sighed as they were overcome with a sense of wholeness.

Their rhythm was unhurried but constant. Intent on taking in the minutest detail of the other, they met each other's long and deep thrusts in perfect harmony. With every slide in, Kakashi's love struck her deepest core and brought her just a little closer to heaven.

Her words tumbled from her pink lips in a gasp. "Don't stop. Don't ever stop."

She watched as Kakashi groaned and his fingers at her temple trembled. "I won't," he swore against her mouth.

It was too much for Sakura to bear—the intensity of the care in his eyes, the power and desire in his every movement acted as a catalyst, compounding the pleasure he so freely gave her until she was fit to burst with it. Like a great spring coiled and ready to fly at the slightest pressure, her entire body yearned for just one more push.

But she wanted to go over the edge with him.

Still raising her hips to meet him thrust-for-thrust, Sakura suddenly wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him to her, locking him in the very deepest part of her possible and hitting that one place that always made her unravel. She could feel his hot length twitch inside her and the two of them cried out as the rapture took them away. Sakura held him tightly to her as he filled her with his love until she could take no more and it leaked out between her legs thick and warm while she trembled.

Chests heaving, they shared one more long and fulfilled kiss before Kakashi gingerly rolled them over so he remained inside her and could put an arm around her. She snuggled against him and pressed a warm kiss to the dip of his collarbone.

The panic would set in tomorrow, but for now Sakura felt happier than she could ever remember.

* * *

The following morning brought the sunshine streaming in through the windows and onto the large bed where the two shinobi were curled up under the blankets. He had a broad palm resting over her breast and her long pink hair tickled his chin, as did her soft exhales across his chest. They were still connected, though he had softened in the night and was close to slipping out.

She had opened up to him. Just as he had surmised, he had to break down those walls she had built around herself if he were to have any hope of gaining her affection. He had made a very decent dent in her defenses last night, judging by her tears and the way she had clung so desperately to him as they made love.

But Haruno Sakura was Konoha's Number One Stubborn Ninja, and he knew that it would likely be two steps forward, one step back. That would be unpleasant, but perhaps it would be best. He needed time to find a way to make their relationship sanctioned before they got too serious, lest they be thrown out of the village for real.

She was beautiful no matter the occasion. Hunched over a medical book with her brow furrowed in thought, arguing over the themes and symbolism of  _Icha Icha,_  punching an enemy into oblivion, moaning his name as she reached climax. And now, as she slept in his arms, she was just as breathtaking. Her mouth was open just the slightest bit, her forehead that was so often creased in displeasure was smoothe and relaxed, and with each soft inhale her full breasts pressed against his chest.

As much as Kakashi wanted to stay like this until the day he died, he knew that he couldn't. Pakkun was at the foot of the bed, looking at the two of them boredly.

"What is it?" he asked the pug.

"Hideo has ordered you and Sakura to his mansion."

It had only been seven short hours since their fight had ended. Kakashi gave a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes.

"Got it. Thanks."

The pug vanished with a  _pop_  and Sakura jerked awake with a gasp, eyes wide and alert.

"It was just Pakkun," Kakashi said quickly. "Hideo wants us now. Are you well enough to go?"

"Of course. We don't have clothes, though."

He nodded his head toward the little rucksack Pakkun had deposited on the bed before he left. "Don't take my ninken lightly."

She laughed and then sat up, the motion causing her to gasp as she felt him slide out of her. The shock on her pink face made him want to chuckle, but he chose to sit up as well and get dressed in his standard jounin garb instead. Though she was reluctant at every turn, he helped her get dressed in her bindings and red dress and she grumbled the entire time about "being babied" and "I'm a jounin."

"After all the times you've nursed me back to health I can stand to take care of you once, I think," he said easily.

"You never pay anyone back for anything, though."

"I won't stand for such an attack on my person. I've been likened to Buddha."

Sakura snorted. "The only thing you two have in common is your ability to remain motionless for incredibly long periods of time."

"You wound me," he said plainly, opening the door to leave.

They grabbed a few pieces of toast from the continental breakfast buffet, checked out, and went to their new boss' mansion. It was a sprawling compound of traditional buildings that lay out of the city and at the top of a cape that overlooked the ocean. Far, far below at the bottom of the rocky cliffs Sakura thought she could make out what looked like a cleverly hidden cave. Perhaps there was a passage in the mansion that led beneath the rocks.

They were greeted at the gates by two guards who bowed them in, and once again at the entrance to the main hall by servants who rushed to inform Hideo of their arrival. On their way to the reception hall they passed walls of pristine shoji doors and extravagant fusuma that depicted all manner of traditional scenes: peacocks frolicking, dragons weaving through clouds, rabbits making mochi. The entire place reeked of power and luxuriance.

Hideo met them in the hall, seated upon a silk cushion on the floor. The two of them bowed deeply before sitting down before him. It seemed that any doubts he had had in their abilities and loyalties had been destroyed the moment they defeated both of his previously employed ninja and Sakura defeated the last Uchiha. He wanted them to immediately begin their duties serving him, which included everything from being his bodyguard to assassinating competition to ensuring the safe shipment of goods. The two shinobi undertook their tasks without debate, secretly thrilled. They now had access to all of the intel they had been sent to obtain, and after another month of collecting information they sent two shadow clones to sleep in their new and quite nice rooms in Hideo's mansion while the real Kakashi and Sakura went to a hotel to compile and send all of the data to Konohagakure.

The mission had so far been ten weeks long and the syndicate they had uncovered had roots that spread through three different countries. They spent the better part of the evening hunched over the desk in their room scribbling furiously. Sakura was hindered due to the fact that she was forced to use her left hand and Kakashi kindly picked up her slack without a word.

While she had used the Seal to heal the internal damage the jutsu had caused, she was letting her hand heal by itself to gauge its natural recovery time. Unfortunately, it was taking much longer than she had hypothesized. It had been a month since she had used the Yaoyorozu no Kami Jutsu and yet it remained black as coal, though she had regained movement in her distal phalanges. It caused her no pain but she also lacked sensation. Kakashi had suggested that she wear a sling but in the case of an attack she didn't want such an obvious handicap on display for the enemy.

They finished a little past sunrise and Sakura summoned Tomo, the komainu whose currant colored wild fur resembled the flames he embodied. She entrusted the documents with him and after a brief conversation he departed for the Hokage Tower.

Now they had to wait for Tsunade to contact them with further instructions through Katsuyu. Until then they would have to continue their roles of Hideo's mercenaries. With her right hand as black and useless as charcoal, Kakashi had made it clear that he didn't want Sakura straining herself and left her to being Hideo's bodyguard while he got to run around doing all the cool things like blowing up ships and roughing up other bad guys. She was grouchy about being left to babysit a man who was in no direct danger, but was slightly mollified when each night her silver-haired ninja would return to their bed and pull her to him.

Sakura would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. Scared of the way her heart fluttered when he smiled at her, and of how so much of her day was eaten up by wondering where he was and what he was doing.

She had been telling the truth when she told him that he had become the place she called home. But she didn't know what it meant that he was where she felt safest. Sakura didn't entertain dreams of a Copy Nin turned dutiful husband or of growing old and picking up gardening together. Love of a romantic sort was no longer something she was capable of feeling.

But certainly he was the greatest friend she could ever ask for. He took her seriously and never underestimated her like so many other people did. He let her take her temper out on him and never held it against her. He brought her dango even when she hadn't asked for anything, and he always kept his promises to her.

Sakura wanted things to continue just as they were. Her best friend's arms around her as she drifted off, his scent in her hair and traces of his essence deep in her core to remind her of him while he was gone. The thought of ending their mission and returning to Konoha pained her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep without his reassuring presence beside her.

So it was with a heavy heart that Sakura listened to Tsunade's orders through Katsuyu four nights after sending the intel to Konoha. It was hard to tell whether Kakashi was as saddened by it as she was, as he wore his customary look of boredom the entire time. They had done enough for their country and the Hokage wanted to inspect Sakura's arm as soon as possible, so she was ordering them to abandon their roles as Hideo's hired muscle and return to Konohagakure the following night, when a massive sting operation would be conducted at all branches of the syndicate in unison.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked her as he folded the blankets over them. His warm hand on her waist was grounding as she looked up into his sharp eyes.

"It's the last night we'll sleep here," she noted glumly.

His fingers were combing through her long pink locks absently. "I'll miss these mattresses. I've never slept better in my life."

She glared at him. " _That's_  what you're going to miss?"

Kakashi took in her furious glower and took a few moments to reconsider. "Mmm...yeah."

"I'll give you something to miss when I put my fist through your—"

She wasn't able to finish her threat because he kissed her so soundly that by the time he pulled away she had completely forgotten what she had been saying before.

"You can't miss something that isn't gone," he told her softly.

Those stupid dimples and that easy smile would be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet some of you are like, "Jesus, Yummy, pick a goddamn tone." Last chapter was pretty action-packed, and this one was...not. I knew I needed to do the falling action sort of thing, since last chapter was a climax. But maybe this was less of a smoothe ride to the first floor and more like I just cut the elevator cables and let you freefall. If you have whiplash or other grievous wounds, please let me know in a review and I will compensate you with shameless smut in future chapters. But seriously, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. Did the switch between action and fluff seem too abrupt?
> 
> Also, I keep getting plotbunnies for this story. Right now we're at pg. 158. I have written up to pg. 220. And I probably have...like 250 more pages of material in my head that I just have to put on the paper. Does it fill you with fear as it does me? Would you like to see this be made into a story and a sequel? Or just make it into one huge tome of KakaSaku filth? Personally, when I see in the summary that something is a sequel, I think, "Oh, since I haven't read the first story I can't read this," and I feel like I'll get less readers if I break it into two works. What's your opinion on fanfiction sequels?
> 
> Thanks again, and see you next week!


	17. Curtain Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely beta, Moonlight_Lily. Enjoy the next chapter!

The next day the two of them went about their duties as though nothing were amiss, and in the dark of night leapt over the cliffs to walk along the shore where they wouldn't be seen from above. Sakura couldn't help but feel cheated the further they distanced themselves from the mansion; she had been looking forward to smashing in Hideo's and Mifune's faces and it wasn't fair that some chunin would just whiz into their chambers tonight and do it for her when  _she_  had done all the legwork in the first place.

When Kakashi reminded her that they would not only be receiving pay for a nine-week long A-rank mission but also the cash they had been paid by the syndicate Sakura was pacified, if only slightly.

It was a three-day journey back to Konoha and usually the two of them would have camped out in the woods to pinch pennies, but it was cold and, if they were both perfectly honest, they had grown a bit spoiled with having a proper bed with blankets and pillows every night.

And, Sakura mused as he pressed her down onto the mattress of their cheap hotel room that first night and suckled hungrily at her pert breasts, beds lent themselves better to certain activities.

They lived like kings those three nights and three days. Anyone who saw them would think that they were on holiday, the way they moseyed through the towns and down the wide dirt roads, stopping to try the food at any interesting vendor or restaurant they spotted along the way. At night they found a seedy hotel where they felt and tasted every inch of each other until they collapsed in a tangle of legs and arms, and when they woke up they picked right back up where they had left off.

On the final night of their trip they stopped at a shabby inn on the outskirts of a town that was only a dozen kilometers from Konoha. It wouldn't have been a problem for the two jounin to walk through the night to home, but they were uncharacteristically averse to seeing those great gates and their friends waiting behind them. They planned on using Sakura's still blackened, immobile arm as an excuse for their tardiness and ordered room service.

To the kunoichi's chagrin, Kakashi had been taking great delight in watching her struggle to use chopsticks with her left hand. When she actually managed to grasp them properly, she usually dropped half of her food on the way to her mouth. Concerned that she would waste away to nothing if this state of affairs continued, Kakashi had selflessly offered to feed her several times now, but she had vehemently refused him. He then struggled not to snigger as she toiled for the next thirty minutes.

When their dinner of grilled saury, finely shredded and stir-fried burdock roots and carrots, and several other small, difficult to eat side dishes were brought to them she thought she might cry from the injustice of it. Why couldn't they bring her finger foods or something? And to make it even worse these were all of Kakashi's favorite foods, which meant that she would have to deal with twice as much gloating and teasing from him.

He looked pleased as he tugged down his mask and took his chopsticks into his hand, completely disregarding the way his partner was practically steaming across the table as she glared at her fish.

"Trying to levitate it into your mouth?" he asked between a mouthful of fish.

"No," she lied.

Ten minutes in and her fish was nearly destroyed by her many failed attempts and Kakashi was daintily wiping his lips with a napkin. She wanted to break his sparklingly clean plates over his head.

"Here," he said, and in an infuriatingly smoothe motion plucked a bite of fish from her plate and held it before her lips.

"I'm not letting you feed me!" she said for what felt like the hundredth time in the past couple days. "I'm a grown woman and kunoichi of the Leaf."

"Yes, and you're going to be a malnourished kunoichi of the Leaf at this rate." He gave her that close-eyed, warm smile that never failed to give her butterflies. "Now say 'Aah.'"

Cheeks red as her dress, she huffed, "You're such a jerk," and then took the bite.

God, but she was so cute when she was bashful, the way her face turned pinker than her hair and she pressed her thighs together. Kakashi vowed to make more opportunities to embarrass her posthaste. Refusing to meet his mirthful gaze she took another bite of fish without a word.

"It's not so bad, is it?" he asked her.

"I'd take thumbscrews to this."

"Oh, please. You never complain when I put other things in your mouth."

Sakura was so astonished by his innuendo that she gasped, and Kakashi seized the opportunity to cram a rather large mouthful of burdock into her wide open mouth. She sputtered in outrage as he chuckled.

In an impressive maneuver she leapt over the table to pounce upon him, landing in his lap and shoving him to the ground. In her good hand she held a bottle of soy sauce that she dumped over his chest with vindictive glee.

"Rude," he muttered, and she let out a squawk of surprise when she felt something hot and slimy being poured down her back. He had picked up a bowl of miso soup with his feet (Seriously, was there no limit to his dexterity?) and tipped it over so it could spill down her hair and dress.

"That's it!" yelled Sakura, and she grabbed a handful of fresh chilled tofu to smear across his face. He grabbed her wrist and tried to force her back, but not even he was a match for her strength. With a diabolical laugh she smashed the cold bean curd all over his face, his forehead and cheeks and mouth as he grimaced and scrunched his eyes shut. "How do you like that, elite ninja Hatake Kakashi? Want some more?"

He gave her a bored look, but she could see the scheming sparks within his dark eyes. "You used chakra just now to overpower me."

It was an unspoken rule that chakra was never to be used during this sort of horseplay, but she had been so overcome with irritation that she had forgotten. The grin that spread over his lips was devilish and Sakura made to get away from him but he still had a strong hand on her wrist and she couldn't break free. Suddenly he released a bit of lightning chakra from his fingers and her body was racked with the torturous pins and needles sensation of a limb that's fallen asleep.

Kakashi used her discomfort to switch their positions and he hovered over her like a pasty ghost thanks to the tofu that was drying on his face.

"You paralyzed me," she accused in disbelief.

"Just for a bit," he conceded. "Wind chakra may be the best on the battlefield, but in bed nothing beats lightning."

The pins and needles were dying down now and she could wiggle her toes but couldn't move her limbs. "You're giving off some serious creeper vibes right now."

Kakashi just laughed and kissed her lightly. "Maybe I put a bit more into my touch than I meant to. This works out, though."

He wiped the tofu from his face with a napkin and when he made no move to take care of the sticky trail of soup down her back she said, "What about me?"

"Maybe I'll want a snack half-way through."

"Ew."

Kakashi just shrugged off his soy-sauce coated shirt and slid his hands up her smoothe calves and thighs to slip under her tight skirt and feel the lace of her panties, pausing to appreciate that they were the exact same shade of pink as her hair. Her breath hitched when his fingertips brushed her sex and he grinned. She was so responsive to even his slightest touch. All she had to do was sigh and bite down on her bottom lip and he felt like a god.

"Do you want me to touch you?" he asked quietly.

She nodded her head, eyes slipping closed as he traced the outline of her womanhood through the lace. "But I don't want you to use your fingers."

"That's convenient," he hummed as he shoved her dress up past her hips, "because I wasn't planning on using them."

And then he peeled off her panties and sank between her legs as she gave an embarrassed squeak and tugged on his hair in an attempt to drag him away from her exposed womanhood. He ignored her mortified hisses of "Kakashi!" and "Knock it off!" to take a deep inhale and appreciate every facet of her.

There wasn't a single inch of Haruno Sakura that wasn't perfection. A flawless canvas of creamy white skin led all the way down to her rose-colored folds, uninterrupted but for a beauty spot just beneath her panty line. He had yet to learn what color her hair was, and he supposed that the question of her drapes was the same as the question of what lie beneath his mask. It seemed that she was always ready and waiting for him. Like spice and flower petals, the scent of her arousal filled his head and made his mouth water.

This was the last night they were free to be with each other for the foreseeable future. He intended to sully her past the point of redemption, so that even months from now she would be lying in her bed pleasuring herself to memories of tonight.

He placed a soft, open-mouthed kiss on the curve of her hip bone and then made a meandering, unhurried path lower and lower, to the place that she secretly longed for him to devour.

"Kakashi, don't," she groaned, though she wasn't so much tugging on his hair now as she was using it to ground herself.

He wondered if she could feel his smile against her soft skin. This shy Sakura was just as lovely as the brash one he so often tangled with.

"You have only yourself to blame for this," he said factually between swirls of tongue that were slowly but surely drawing near her center. "You took my tofu and smeared it all over my face. You don't honestly expect me to go without dessert, do you?"

He could practically feel her eyeroll. "Ugh, you're insufferable."

"I'm a national treasure," he corrected her, and then dragged his tongue up her wet slit.

With a gasp she drew her legs up instinctively at the sudden and powerful touch against her most sensitive area and Kakashi hooked them over his shoulders before continuing. Usually the only time she allowed him to sample her was when he was licking his fingers clean after foreplay, and even that had her blushing and looking away from him. There was no way in hell he was letting this chance to taste her fully go to waste.

Every woman had the same general slightly metallic taste, but they each had a certain nuance that made them distinct. Sakura's was surprisingly sugary, and for a man who abhorred sweets it was startling how delicious he found her to be. As if he were enjoying a most delicate nectar he lapped at her flushed lips.

Her back arched and she fisted her hand in his silver mane. Her protests were gone, but she wasn't begging him for more either.

That would change.

Kakashi traced a light circle around her swollen pearl with the very tip of his tongue, and when she stirred her hips in an effort to throw him off course he pushed them back onto the floor with two strong hands. Anywhere else and they both had the patience of a sloth handler, but when things got hot and heavy between them like this they always lost their heads. Tonight he would have to have patience enough for the two of them.

Again and again he made his torturous circuit around her clit and the longer he made her wait the more agitatedly she grabbed at his hair. Each little frustrated sigh and whimper she gave only drove him to tease her further, and when he blew a cool breeze upon her she groaned and fought harder against the hands that kept her immobile. She would probably start using chakra to overpower him if he continued this much longer, he decided, and without warning took the sensitive nub into his mouth and sucked on it.

"Kakashi!" she cried, writhing and gasping as he finally gave her a bit of what her body craved. "Oh my God, yes!"

He was such a sucker for her praise and chose to reward her with a hard press of his tongue against her pearl before sucking on it once more. Enthusiastically she moaned and urged him to continue, and he did so by tasting her from her clit down to her eagerly beckoning entrance and back up to lay siege to her again.

Any reservations she had had before were gone and forgotten, and the pink-haired vixen Kakashi knew so well had sprung to life beneath him as she wiggled desperately and moaned. She squeezed her thighs together to keep him focused on her little bud and he endeavored to make it burst into bloom.

"I can't take it," she sighed, arching her back into his devilishly nimble tongue. "Fuck me, please."

He smiled against her lips and dragged his teeth ever-so-lightly over her most sensitive spot, causing her to bite back another low moan. "Not until I've had all of my dessert."

She made a sound that could either have been from pleasure or irritation. "You're such a bastard."

Irritation, then.

Kakashi's cock ached within the cruel confines of his pants and he wished he had thought to take them off with his shirt before getting this started. Her every mewl and tremble only made him harder and it took all of his willpower not to selfishly skip to the main event.

Sakura couldn't take it anymore, having only one hand to grab at his wild hair futilely and not even being able to see his roguish smirk as he reduced her to putty. She yearned to return the favor and taste him, but more than anything else she hungered for something to fill her. Each masterful swirl of his tongue sent shivers up her spine and only deepened her want.

And then he said against her folds, "You might want to hold on to something."

Bewildered but feeling too good to be concerned by the unusual advice, Sakura laced her fingers through a tuft of his hair obediently.

And then her entire existence was set aflame as his cool tongue met her clit and imparted a bolt of lightning that shot straight to her core. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, hot and exhilarating and a pleasure so intense it was almost pain. An unfettered sob left her lips and her hips bucked toward him so strongly that he couldn't halt them.

Kakashi took everything in stride, sucking and licking and swirling the abused nub as though nothing were out of the ordinary, and then it came again. A tempest between her legs, making her tremble like a leaf at its awesome fury. She cried out his name in wonder and dragged her fingers out of his hair and to the tatami because she thought that if he did it again she might actually harm him by accident.

But he took her hand and placed it back in his hair. When he looked up to her his dark eyes were blown with his own lust and there was a welcoming fire in his gaze that kindled a reciprocating blaze within her. "Don't hold back," he said in a rough voice. "I want every last bit of you."

And then he ducked back down again, focusing this time on her wet and eager passage. He ran his cool tongue along its shores and she shuddered, waiting for the next dose of rapture in excited trepidation. It wasn't until he plunged deep inside her, mapping out her most private of places that it came again and stars twinkled before her eyes. It shouldn't be possible to feel so good, like all of the comets and stars in the sky were in her glowing so bright that she would burst with their light.

"More, more," she pled, not caring at all how pathetic she sounded. "I love it."

He gifted her with another bolt of lightning that seared through her and to the spot just behind her belly button that made her feel like she was melting. It was as if each jolt she received was turned straight into ecstasy that was filling her up and it was just a few moments away from brimming over the top. Sakura could no longer control her body; her legs wrapped around his shoulders to keep him and the source of this heaven from ever leaving.

She felt Kakashi's long fingers skate across hers in his hair and immediately she wove her fingers between his. The warmth and strength that radiated from his touch provided her a whole other sort of bliss, the kind that a flower feels when the sun is kind enough to shine upon it, the kind that you feel when there's an icy wind howling but you're wrapped in the warm arms of someone who would never let you feel the cold.

When the next bolt struck it proved too much for her and her entire body quivered as she gave herself over to the apocalyptical pleasure. Distantly she thought she could hear Kakashi give a soft groan as he hungrily lapped up all of her juices that sprang forth on the waves of her completion.

He crawled up her to leave brief but passionate kisses on her heaving stomach and chest before reaching her lips. She was gasping for air but that didn't stop him from giving her a taste of her own orgasm, which made a new flare of heat scorch through her.

"I think this is the hardest I've ever made you cum," he observed with just a hint of a brag.

Sakura didn't think she could utter anything that wasn't monosyllabic. She panted for a bit and then managed to say, "The hardest anyone has ever made me come."

Chuckling, he tugged her to her wobbly feet. His erection was pressing insistently against his pants and she ran her hand over it before unbuttoning them. Just as she was about to unzip them and free him Kakashi stopped her.

"Wait," was all he said, and pulled her toward the bathroom.

"Why?" she asked. She wanted him inside her right here, right now, and if the impressive tent going on below his belt was a reliable sign, he felt the same.

"You smell like miso soup and it's kind of distracting," he told her.

Sakura scowled. "If someone hadn't poured it on me we wouldn't have this problem."

He just led her into the bathroom and closed the door behind them where he helped her take off her dress and bindings without jostling her still delicate arm, and Sakura turned on the shower as he took off his own pants.

She had seen him completely nude so many times she had lost count by now, but each time she was astonished anew by his masterful creation. From the ANBU tattoo on his toned shoulder to the scars he wore like badges and the smile that made her think she knew what happiness was, Kakashi was stunning.

"I'll never get tired of looking at you," she told him.

His eyes grew wide for only a brief moment before he lost both of his hands in her mid-back length hair and smiled. "I hope not."

They stepped into the hot shower and he dutifully washed her hair and her every curve, and she returned his kindness by sinking down to her knees before him and tracing her tongue along the head of his cock. Kakashi already felt nearly fit to burst—as much as he had looked forward to taking their time here he feared that it would end too soon this way. She had barely gotten started when he pulled her back up to her feet and gave her a lascivious kiss. Her hand on his ass brought them together so his ramrod straight cock could slide between her folds seamlessly and he hissed.

Now it was Sakura's turn to lead. She brought them out of the shower and to the bed, where they were tangled together in moments. Wet, warm, and soft from the hot water, their bodies moved together effortlessly.

"Hurry," she whispered in his ear. "I can't wait anymore."

Nor could he. He lay on top of her, propping himself up on one forearm while the other caressed her cheek. How he had bumbled down the paths of life and stumbled upon her he would never know, but he was eternally thankful. Her laugh was the only music he wanted to hear and he would gladly give up  _Icha Icha_  to read each minute change in her expression instead.

How he wished he could tell her what lie in his heart.

But because he couldn't say it with words, he chose to show her instead. He never broke their gaze as he entered her. His body was screaming at him to bang her, but he defied his urges to press into her slowly enough to feel each new centimeter encasing him.

When his hips could go forward no further the two of them sighed and Sakura splayed her fingers across the back of his neck as she gave him a loving kiss he happily returned. This connection was more than just flesh; their very minds and souls had become one when he penetrated her to her very deepest core. A great loop that started and ended with the other had been completed, and Kakashi wished that it would never be broken.

Gradually, he began to move. His thrusts were steady and smoothe, long and deep. He withdrew until only his very tip was still within her and then drove back into her warm, inviting center. Each roll of his hips felt like the first time all over again and the two of them shared sloppy kisses between their harsh breaths. With every new entry into her tight, slick tunnel another heap of heat and pressure was added to his core like the counterweights of a catapult. When the rope was cut it would lay waste to him in the best way imaginable.

Sakura wrapped her legs around his lower back, bringing him just the slightest bit deeper and allowing him to finally strike the spot that made him believe in God. He could feel her walls quivering ever so slightly around him, signalling that she was close to her own release that would undoubtedly trigger his own.

The enthralling squeeze of her love around his lust, the tremble of her fingers at the nape of his neck, and the unbridled cherishment shining in the depths of her emerald eyes were all too much for him to handle. With one final thrust he groaned her name as he filled her with the proof of his devotion, and like a chain reaction her back arched and she gave a silvery cry as she milked him for every last drop he could give her.

In all his years Kakashi had never experienced anything so powerful as the tidal wave of pleasure that overcame him just then. His entire body was numb and the arm he had propped himself up with was shaky, but that didn't stop him from sharing another passionate kiss with her and waiting for the two of them to return to the land of the living.

When their breaths had slowed and the haze of release had lifted somewhat, he rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she tossed a leg over him. This was the last night that they would be sleeping together like this for a while and both were desperate not to waste it. Kakashi took in a deep breath of her slightly flowery scent and relaxed further against her.

A sad silence stretched between them. Tonight was the end of a perfect but forbidden union that they shouldn't have allowed to begin in the first place. Kakashi thought he could feel moisture on his chest, and it could have been her sweat or her tears, but judging by the slightly salty smell it was the latter.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she began to shake in his arms.

"Tomorrow morning we're going to wake up and go back to how things were between us," he told her softly. "We'll go back to being friends and partners."

She nodded silently, and he wished he could see her face.

"Don't cry," he soothed, running a hand through her wavy, damp hair. "Why are you sad? I told you that you can't miss what isn't gone."

Sakura looked up at him then, teardrops clinging to her long eyelashes. And as the meaning of his words sank in the despair on her features turned to gladness. She leaned up to give him one more long, thankful kiss.

"Good," she breathed against his lips.

It wasn't easy but when they woke up that morning they disentangled themselves from one another, got dressed, and made the walk back to Konoha. Ostensibly, Sakura and Kakashi were their usual selves, trading easy banter back and forth as they always had. She knew that this was the simple part—this aspect of their relationship hadn't changed at all. The challenge would be after those great gates closed behind them and they were trapped in their act as law-abiding shinobi indefinitely. No hand-holding, no inappropriate touching, and no falling asleep in each other's arms.

Sakura's heart ached knowing that she may never get another chance to be with him so freely. With this mission she felt that the final piece of their friendship had fallen into place.

The sun was just setting when she and Kakashi returned to Konoha, and when she turned back to watch the guards pull the massive gates shut she couldn't help but feel she had left a part of herself somewhere out in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry this one is a bit long, but it's important!) Thanks for stopping by to read another chapter. This marks the end of Act I of the story, probably. Lol I'm not that huge on plotting. I just have several scenes in my head that I think are badass, and then I desperately try to link them together and this story is what you get.
> 
> Speaking of which, I heard this song the other day and it made me imagine this ridiculously awesome fight scene, and now I've got a whole new arc in my head that is maybe the same length as this one. Yes, I'm going to write probably almost 200 pages just so I can set up this fight scene. That's how pumped I am about it.
> 
> That said, I need to do this fight scene justice. I need to iron out some details about this arc, organize it in my head a bit, before progressing. We've got several plots going on in one story here, and I've never attempted writing anything this complex before. So please be gentle and understanding if the updates slow a bit, because the delays are so I can give you the best smut-filled, action-packed story possible (while working 50-60 hours a week and trying to get more than 4 hours of sleep a night).
> 
> Last week, I asked you guys for your thoughts on the "sequel vs. is-this-a-fanfic-or-an-encyclopedia-goddamn" debate. I really appreciate everyone's input! Thanks to it, I have decided to go the encyclopedia route.
> 
> Since I am still hammering out the details of this arc, I would love to hear your voices again! What would you like to see more of in the next arc? This new arc will have a new adversary that I haven't introduced yet, and I do intend to touch on each of the elements below, but I want to know which of them you are most interested in. (Multiple answers are okay too, as are things not listed below!) Depending on your input, I may try to develop certain plot threads more in this arc, and develop other ones more fully in the third and final arc. Here are the plot threads we have going on currently:
> 
> 1\. The mysterious orange-haired kunoichi who vowed revenge when Sakura killed her lover back in Chapter 6 (oh yeah, we're not done with her)
> 
> 2\. Sasuke pursuing Sakura, Sakura not being a fan (omfg what happened between them?!11one)
> 
> 3\. Kakashi coming down with a fatal case of the feels, Sakura eating oranges by the bushel to keep from catching them (lol you know that's gonna be a key driver of this story)
> 
> 4\. Sakura's rather mysterious past. (Her father died on her operating table a year ago, and she is estranged from her mother. What's the deal there?)
> 
> Okay, now that I've written an AN nearly as long as a chapter, I'm leaving lol. As always, thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. I always get blue around the holidays, living on the other side of the world from my family and friends and surrounded by Japanese people who just don't get it. But the email notifications really bring a smile to my face and writing this story is one of the few things that makes me truly happy, and it's thanks to you, my wonderful readers. See you next week.


	18. Hisashiburi ni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back. 久しぶりに (Hisashiburi ni) means "It's been a long time (since ...)"

Sakura felt many things towards Tsunade, and just over half of them were positive. She would forever be grateful that she had taken Sakura under her wing and fostered her abilities in a way that everyone else had failed to. These past eight years had brought her ever closer to the Hokage, to the point that the blonde felt like more of a mother to her than her actual mother.

That being said, there were many aspects of her shishou that made Sakura want to pick up her drinking habit. She was a wonderful mentor but a horrible person to work for. The pink-haired kunoichi couldn't count how many times she had been kept working at the hospital or the Hokage Tower until the sun rose, or how many times she had been awoken by a bird or ANBU at her window with Tsunade's summons. Her low tolerance for mistakes coupled with her tendency to seldom offer praise often made Sakura's efforts feel fruitless. And when Tsunade was angry, it felt like Sakura was facing down a hurricane armed with nothing but a shabby umbrella.

Tsunade was in especially rare form tonight. Upon seeing Sakura's blackened hand her nostrils had flared like a bull just before it gored the matador. She had hollered at and lectured her apprentice until she went hoarse. Then she turned on Kakashi for not doing something to keep her from injuring herself so badly. And then she rounded on the kunoichi again for nearly killing Sasuke.

Sakura thought she and Kakashi would have to stand her tirade until daybreak, but in a couple hours the torrent slowed to a trickle.

"One more thing," Tsunade said, still giving her two polite listeners a threatening glare. "As standard procedure for long-term missions of this nature, you two are to have no contact with each other for the next month."

Sakura's eyes flew wide in alarm. "Shishou," she objected, "what about our missions and training?"

"You're not going on any missions until that hand is healed, and unless you've forgotten there are other ninjas in this town that you can train with besides Kakashi."

Sakura knew that she and Kakashi would have to distance themselves emotionally; she hadn't known that they would have to  _actually_  distance themselves too.

"After the month you two will be allowed to go on missions together again on teams of three or four."

The pink-haired girl further sagged. She and Kakashi had always been a perfect team. Any more people just tended to get in their way.

"And once you have completed two missions with another team, you will be free to continue missions in your usual style, unless it is decided that you are not maintaining a professional relationship."

At least there was a silver lining. These past two months on their mission had ended as soon as they'd started. Hopefully their silly observation period would pass just as quickly.

Kakashi spoke for the first time in nearly half an hour. "And have the rumors of our relationship been cleared up?"

"I've spoken with the relevant people to have the correct information disseminated, but you know how people talk. Have your reports delivered in two days."

The two of them nodded and with a bow they turned and began to head out of the room.

"Oh," Tsunade said, and Sakura braced herself for the second round of the tirade. Despite wanting to dash out the door, she and Kakashi both turned around to face their Hokage once more. "Do you remember that orange-haired kunoichi that ambushed you on the way back from your espionage mission? The one whose partner you killed with chakra scalpels?"

Sakura nodded, the memory of the fight welling up wetly in her mind. She didn't think she could ever forget the distraught in that kunoichi's eyes as she held what remained of the man Sakura had murdered. It was the look of someone whose heart and soul had been ripped out and rent into a thousand pieces, the look of someone who could yearn for an eternity and still be empty.

"Shizune researched the acid that the shinobi used to destroy their bodies. We've never seen anything like it before, and she wasn't able to determine much, other than that it seems to be made from a compound found in the Land of Waves."

"They didn't claim allegiance to any village," Kakashi noted, "so either they were rogues hailing from the Land of Waves or undercover."

There was a heavy silence hanging between them as they made their way downstairs. Sakura didn't know what to say, and maybe Kakashi just didn't feel like talking anymore. The walk to Konoha had been long, and Tsunade's lecture felt even longer. He was probably tired.

"Make sure to rest that arm," he told her as they stepped outside. It was nearly two in the morning and they were alone but for two guards standing at attention at the doors.

"I'll just be practicing one-handed jutsu," she promised. "Same as you."

There was a devious twinkle in his eye. "I'll have no choice," he said with a sigh, "what with losing my sparring partner for at least a month."

Sakura could feel eyes on her from behind and knew that Tsunade had likely dispatched a couple ANBU to observe her and Kakashi's movements. On their way back to Konoha he had warned her of the possibility so it didn't come as a surprise. Standard protocol for this type of mission was to surveil the shinobi in question to make sure they weren't secretly in communicae.

"Well, see you in a month then," she said with an easy smile.

"Mm." And just like any other time they completed a mission, he strolled off with a hand up in a lazy farewell.

This left the kunoichi to trudge off in the direction of her house. Ino had fallen asleep on the couch, sprawled across it in a messy beauty only models could pull off. Sakura scowled. Leave it to the pig to irritate her even when she was asleep.

The blonde stirred despite Sakura's best efforts to tiptoe to her bedroom. "You're back!"

"Observant." Sakura kept heading toward her room.

Ino hung over the back of the couch with the look of a starving man. But Sakura knew that the only thing she was deprived of was gossip. "Wait, wait! You can't honestly be intending to go to sleep without giving me all the details!"

"Even if it weren't breaking the rules to share the details of the mission with you, I have a mission report to write and it's gotta be with my left hand, so..."

Her friend seized on the opportunity like a plecostomus to glass. "I could write it for you! You could dictate it!"

"I'll pass, thanks."

Ino chucked a throw pillow at her friend, who was too tired to bother deflecting it. It bounced mutely off her chest and to the floor. "At least tell me how he was in bed!"

Sakura paused in her doorway and turned back to give Ino a devious smirk. "There's nothing Kakashi wouldn't do for the success of a mission."

And then she closed the door firmly on her squealing friend, satisfied that the blonde would be stewing over her words for hours to come.

Though she didn't particularly want to, Sakura forced herself to sit at her desk and start penning her mission report. She and Kakashi had already planned out which bits they would alter to make it seem as though they had only been sleeping with each other as much as the mission called for and not as though they were teenagers who had just realized how their anatomy worked. In fact, the two of them had broken protocol and written their mission reports together to ensure that they matched. Rules stated that partners were to write them separately specifically in order to prevent this sort of thing, but it wasn't like they were covering up something that had an effect on the mission.

She wanted to hand in the report she had prepared with Kakashi in one of the hotel rooms on their way back, but Sakura could feel the unseen eyes of ANBU through her window. With a sigh she got out a pen and paper and began writing in a sloppy left-handled scrawl. It was a monotonous task made even more unpleasant by the clumsiness of her weak hand.

However, she wrote until she had finished it, all sixty-some pages with a few naps and meals in between. She turned it in to Tsunade, secretly disappointed when she didn't happen to bump into a certain silver-haired jounin on her other errands. She was, however, bombarded by questions from ninja and even a few civilians. She gave them all clipped answers and made a beeline for Naruto's apartment.

"Sakura-chan!" he beamed when he opened the door and saw her. "You and Kakashi-sensei are the worst people ever! You should've told me and Sasuke before you left."

The kunoichi stepped inside his apartment, which had remained largely unchanged over the years but for Hinata's cleanly influence. "If you were capable of a decent poker face maybe we could have told you, but we needed our story to be credible."

"Whatever," Naruto dismissed and plopped down on his abused and dilapidated couch beside his teammate. "Now tell me everything! You guys took down that entire syndicate by yourselves! That's so awesome!"

Sakura smiled. He was the only person other than Tsunade to have focused on the actual mission and not their cover story. She indulged him with the details of the mission and he listened eagerly. When they got to the part where Sasuke nearly compromised the entire thing the smile on Naruto's lips faded.

"He told me you almost killed him," he said quietly. "Did you mean to?"

"No." She had meant to  _completely_  kill him. But you couldn't kill Uchiha Sasuke, just as you couldn't kill Naruto or Kakashi or her. Team Seven was, sadly, almost immortal.

"He was in a really weird mood when he came back," Naruto told her. "Usually he's all quiet in that brooding emo kind of way, but this time he was quiet in a sorta... _mastermind_  kind of way."

Sakura frowned. "I don't follow."

"Yeah, me neither. I asked him what his problem was and he said for the first time since defeating Kaguya he knew what he wanted to do."

"And that was?"

"The bastard wouldn't tell me!" Naruto shook his fist angrily. "Why's he always gotta be the cool quiet guy? God, he pisses me off."

Sakura found herself biting down on her lip as she pondered over Sasuke's oddly calm demeanor. She had come mere millimeters away from killing him and his response was some gothic nirvana? What was he planning? Something about this made her stomach flip uneasily.

She asked, "Did he leave again?"

"Yeah. Tsunade-baachan sent him off for something. He'll be back in a month or so, though. We should all go out for ramen then! Y'know, get the whole team together. It's been at least a year since all four of us were in the same place."

Sakura remembered the occasion distinctly. It had been Kakashi's 35th birthday and she and Naruto had invited him over to her place for a night of drinking. Sasuke had surprised them with an early return from information gathering or whatever the hell it was he did when he left Konoha, and Sakura had been forced to pretend that she was delighted to let the serpent into her home. If he knew how uncomfortable he made her feel, he gave zero impression of it. The bastard had even had the audacity to sleep on her couch while Naruto and Kakashi slept on spare futons on the floor. Just knowing that he was so near had left Sakura unable to sleep until he left that morning.

"Mm," she said neutrally. "If our schedules meet up."

Naruto's smile fell into a soft frown. "Ne, Sakura-chan. Why don't you like Sasuke anymore? I know you don't like it when he's around. When you guys left for this mission I thought maybe Sasuke had figured out you guys' relationship and that was why, but now that that's not true…"

This wasn't the conversation she had wanted to have with Naruto, and as she searched for an answer that would make him drop it an old ache returned to her chest.

"I don't dislike him," she said quietly, looking down to her blackened hand on her lap. "I just don't love him anymore. A love like that...leaves scars that hurt long after the fact."

Naruto scratched his head with that befuddled look he had worn ever since his genin days.

"Listen," Sakura said with a bright-eyed smile, "I didn't come here to break secrecy laws and dredge up old memories no one wants to talk about. I wanted to ask if you'd help me train."

"Train? But your hand—"

"Naruto, do you actually intend to tell me what is best for my health?" she asked dangerously, and the blond fearfully shook his head. "I need to get better with one-handed jutsu and I had a breakthrough when I was fighting Sasuke."

She had never had such success with one-handed jutsu as when the Uchiha was rushing at her and she knew she had only moments to do something. The adrenaline, the sense of impending destruction, had unlocked something in her that had given her the focus to complete the jutsu with her left hand alone. Surely if she sparred with a powerful enough opponent she'd be able to do it once more, and from there it would only get easier until it was second nature.

The jinchuriki scratched his head. "Well, if you're sure then…"

In response she just took his hand and tugged him off the couch.

The two of them sparred until the sun was going down and Sakura collapsed to wobbly knees in the center of a crater of her creation. Naruto and his many kage bunshin were all grinning and panting.

"You're amazing!" the real Naruto exclaimed, dissolving his clones and sliding down to the center of the crater to be with her. "Even with just one arm I couldn't land a hit on you."

Sakura rose to unsteady feet and looped her arm around her teammate's for support as she frowned bitterly. "We trained for five hours and I was only able to successfully cast a jutsu six times. I had a five percent success rate."

"Oh don't be such a Negative Nancy. It used to be a zero percent success rate, didn't it?" He jumped and the two of them soared out of the hole and back onto the grass. "Tomorrow you'll get seven percent at least."

Sakura laughed despite herself. Uzumaki Naruto truly didn't have a single pessimistic bone in his body. He saw the reality he wanted and bent the world around him until it took shape.

Seeing her smile made a grin break across his lips as well. "Ichiraku?"

She groaned and leaned her head against his shoulder in exasperation. "Ugh, please no. It's so hard to eat noodles with my left hand."

"I could feed you," he offered.

Sakura slid him a suspicious look. "And Hinata wouldn't mind you feeding another girl?"

"Oh, you don't really count as a girl," Naruto brushed off easily. When he turned to grin at the kunoichi, he was alarmed to see that she was wearing her most deadly, enraged look—the one she reserved for when someone inquired about her drapes matching the curtains or called her flat-chested. If he looked long enough he swore he could see the pits of hell within her burning green eyes.

"Wh-what I mean is, Sakura-chan—" he rushed to mollify.

But no amount of reasoning and apologies could have kept her for slamming him with a punch to the arm that left him reeling.

"You're paying for dinner," she growled. "And you're feeding me."

All he could really do was nod meekly. "S-sure thing. You know I just meant that because we're teammates and you're like a sister to me that Hinata wouldn't mind…"

Sakura  _had_  known that, but sometimes it was fun to beat up on the future Hokage. There would come a time where punching him like that would count as an assassination attempt; she had to get it all out of her system while she could.

"Well, you need to think about how your words will come across before you say them," she huffed as they made their way out of the training grounds and towards the only restaurant that existed in Naruto's world. "If you're really serious about being Hokage it's not just about being strong. It's also about diplomacy."

"You sound just like Tsunade-baachan," he griped. "And you punch just like her too. Maybe  _you'll_  be the next Hokage instead of me."

She chuckled at the thought. "Nah, it'll be Kakashi before it'll be me."

"What? Kakashi-sensei? You're joking, right?"

But she wasn't. Thanks to her privileged position not only as Tsunade's apprentice but also Kakashi's best friend she was privy to their discussions even though technically she was supposed to know nothing. Her shishou was getting older and had never wanted the title anyways; she wanted to pass the torch on to the next generation but didn't want to wait until Naruto was ready. The only logical candidate was Hatake Kakashi, who out of all of the jounin had the most well-rounded experience and skills. Though diplomacy certainly wasn't his forte.

Kakashi was dragging his feet—bureaucracy had only ever held his disdain. His place was in the field, not behind closed doors full of meetings and hand-shaking and bridge-building. But he was aware that Tsunade had solid reasons for wanting him to become the next Hokage and knew that he couldn't keep avoiding it forever. He had told the Hokage that he wanted to complete 1500 missions before taking up her mantle and she had reluctantly agreed.

"Do you think they'll let him keep the mask? Ooh! We'll all  _have_  to see his face if he becomes Hokage! This is perfect! I hope they make him Hokage soon!"

Sakura didn't harbor the same wishes her teammate did. When Kakashi became the Rokudaime their days as the perfect team would be over. It wouldn't be for another three years at least, but it was a thought that hovered in the back of her mind like a stormcloud on the distant horizon.

That was still a long time from now, she told herself firmly. Right now she just had to worry about healing her arm and mastering one-handed jutsu.

And deciding what to do with the great knot of confusing feelings this mission had given her towards their resident scarecrow.

So after letting Naruto feed her (He managed to get more noodles down her front than in her mouth, unfortunately.), Sakura made plans to train again with him the following day and headed home. The lights were out and Ino had left a note saying she was on a mission, and while Sakura normally would have rejoiced to have the place to herself for a night, she had gone too long spending 24/7 with someone. Now their home felt cold and unwelcoming.

The red flashing of their answering machine drew her attention immediately upon slipping her shoes off at the entrance. It wasn't often that they got calls, as most of their friends tended to just stop by, and when someone called them it was usually Ino's mother. Tonight, the red digital readout told her they had eight messages waiting. Sakura crossed the room and pressed the play button.

The very moment the voice began filling up her living room like noxious fumes she regretted it. The message began mid-sentence, which meant that they had been ran over the two-minute limit and carried on to a new message.

"—you think you are? As if it wasn't bad enough, you gallivanting all over town like some trollop and ruining the Haruno name with your open legs? And then I hear from the neighbors—the  _neighbors_ —that my daughter is in some disgusting relationship with her  _teacher?_  I could have died from the shame! Do you know what I had to go through this whole time you were off having your adventures? The disgusted glances and whispered gossip? I've never been more ashamed to call you my daughter!

"And then you come back and I learn that it was all just some lie for a mission. At least, that's what the Hokage would have us all think. But  _I_  know you—I know just what a filthy little slut you are. It wouldn't surprise me for an instant to learn that you were fucking your teacher. It'd be just like you—you rot everyone around you, you m—"

Her mother's shrill words were like spiders scuttling across Sakura's synapses. Without thinking she took the little white machine into her hand and threw it to the ground before stomping on it with all her natural physical strength. The crunch of plastic underfoot was satisfying, but not as much as the ringing silence that permeated the room immediately after.

Sakura took a long, shaking breath as she fought to keep from destroying anything else in their home. Ino wouldn't be happy if their couch was ripped in half or there was a massive hole in the wall.

_That harpy_ , she thought as she swept up the fragments of the poor answering machine and fetched a new one from the broom closet. Her interactions with her mother had been strained from the start, but for the last year every time they met Sakura was given a different version of the same rant. Exceedingly few people knew the extent of it: Ino because she had heard one of the voicemails awhile back, Naruto because he had been with Sakura in town when her mother had unleashed a torrent of vitriol on her, and Kakashi because she may have broken down crying in front of him over it once.

Of course, no one knew exactly  _why_  Haruno Mebuki had become so vehement towards her only child. Sakura reasoned that she had just lost her husband, whom she had loved more than life itself, and didn't know what to do with the pain but turn it outwards.

With a heavy sigh, Sakura headed into the bathroom and took a long shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for tuning in for another chapter. I greatly appreciate everyone's feedback, and I will be considering and implementing it as I move forward with the next arc. You guys are seriously the best readers ever and I love each and every one of you. The last arc was really developing Sakura and Kakashi's relationship, so I started off this chapter by fleshing out her relationships with people back at home. What did you think about them?
> 
> I don't know why, but Naruto's dialogue is 100% in Japanese in my head. That's why I tend to add more Japanese like "ne" to his speech and not to others'. All the other characters' speech is English most of the time, but not his. So weird haha. What do you guys think about using Japanese in English works like this? Personally I don't mind at all, but I really dislike it when people use "Kami" or "Kami-sama" in place of "Oh my God." I understand the "They're not Christian so we wanna change it to Japanese gods" thought process, but actually Japanese people don't cry out to the gods as an interjection like we do in the first place, so it's doubly unnatural-sounding. Idk. Random things that grind my gears lol. Do you like seeing Japanese in the story? Or are you a linguistic purist?
> 
> Work has been crazy lately. 12 hour days Monday through Friday, and taking the laptop home on weekends. But I am finding time between tasks to write (posting this during a boring meeting right now haha), and devoting most of my weekends to Release. Sorry the updates are no longer once per week. Bear with me! :)


	19. Hard Reset

The next day she trained with Naruto until her chakra had been depleted and she was so exhausted that the echoes of her mother's words faded from her mind. The blond walked her back to her house and when they opened the door she was met with the most unpleasant sight she could imagine.

"Oh, Sakura! Perfect timing!"

"We've been waiting on you for hours!"

"Hurry up and tell us  _everything!"_

If she had had even a flicker of chakra left, Sakura would have pulled a Kakashi and vanished in a swirl of leaves to somewhere these vultures would never find her. But she was drained, and her only hope of salvation saw the danger at hand and was making flimsy excuses of "Oh, gee, is it that late already? I've got to go home and clean my...doors."

"Naruto, you ass," Sakura hissed.

He just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, already backing out of the doorway and to the safety of the welcome mat that lay beyond.

The door closed behind her with the click of a cage's lock, and Sakura visibly sagged as all of the girls crowded around her like ducks before a loaf of water-logged bread.

None of the girls cared that all she wanted to do right now was sleep, and none of them seemed to remember that divulging details of a mission was a punishable offense. Before she could make excuses Tenten and Ino had linked arms with her and more or less dragged her to the sofa, where Hinata gave her a plate of cold pizza. Judging by the mess of empty pizza boxes and plates they hadn't waited to eat with her.

"Now c'mon!" Tenten whined beside her. "We've been dying to know what happened on your mission!"

"You know I can't tell you what happened," groaned Sakura.

Ino rolled her eyes at her friend's predictable recalcitrance. "We don't care about the gang or whatever. What we  _really_  want to know is what happened between you and Kakashi-sensei!"

"It was an international crime syndicate, one of the biggest ever," the pink-haired girl growled. Was Naruto the only friend who took her accomplishments seriously?

"Go on and eat your pizza before it gets cold," Tenten admonished, and then leaned forward with an eager fire burning in her eyes, "and tell us what it was like to kiss the great Copy Nin!"

"Ugh, forget the kisses! Tell us what it was like to screw him!" Ino demanded. She was stretched out on her side on the back of the couch, her head propped up on a palm. Sakura had the strongest urge to slam her head backwards and topple her, but resisted.

Sakura took a bite of her cold dinner and tried to sink into the sofa cushions and another dimension. She had known that this would happen at some point. She just wished that it wasn't happening when she was too tired to disappear. Usually when Ino called the girls over for an unwanted invasion of her privacy Sakura retreated to Kakashi's apartment, where they would follow her but fail to get past Kakashi's ironclad defenses that consisted of horrendously tortuous and false answers to their questions of her whereabouts. The girls would give up and return home pouting, leaving her and Kakashi to enjoy an evening of reading, dog grooming, and delivery food.

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option this time.

Deciding it was best to end this all as soon as possible, she leapt into a retelling of events that lined up with the mission reports. "We slept together a total of twenty-seven times, and it was average. We were just doing what we had to do to keep up our cover story. And because I know you're all going to ask I'll just tell you now—he's well-endowed. No, i won't say exactly  _how_  well, no matter how much you badger me."

All of the girls, even beet-red Hinata, leaned closer in fascination.

"Oh, it can't have been average! I mean he's got a thousand jutsu," Tenten argued. "He's gotta have an arsenal of techniques in the sheets too."

Sakura was reminded of his crafty usage of lightning chakra and schooled herself to keep a blush from rising to her cheeks. "I told you, he was decent. Our goal wasn't to make love to each other; it was to maintain a relationship believable to the enemy."

Hinata was unable to keep her eyes on Sakura as she said, "But...why would you have to sleep together to keep up the ruse?"

This was a dangerous gray area. The two accomplished jounin would have been capable of producing a simple genjutsu, or just moaning while bouncing on the bed for a while. But the two of them were nothing if not thorough in every aspect of a mission, and besides, the real thing was much too much fun.

"Our rooms were bugged for the duration of the mission by the syndicate," Sakura answered. "We allowed the bugs to remain so we could show them that we had nothing to hide. We were watched 24/7."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ino cried from behind her. "Are you telling me that you guys got it on while some stranger was watching you on camera?"

Sakura coolly took another bite of pizza. "Yep."

The three girls all gaped at her, and then promptly exploded into chatter as loud as a detonated exploding tag.

"Oh my God, that's so kinky!"

"But someone could have those tapes somewhere!"

"Wasn't it embarrassing?"

"So this means that he's shown his face to you and a whole host of strangers but we still haven't seen it?"

Sakura just waited for them to calm down and took a swig of beer on the coffee table.

"You hooked up with him twenty-seven times and you really feel nothing towards him?" Ino asked. "I mean, even after just one time a girl can kinda start to get attached. And you two were already with each other every waking moment before that."

"Listen, it was just fucking. The two of us checked out for the duration of it, just like when you sleep with a target for a mission. So no, I didn't develop any feelings for him. He's just plain old Kakashi to me."

The last sentence was supposed to be true, but even before the words left her lips a little niggling twinge of guilt took root in her. In many ways, her feelings for Kakashi were the same as they had been for the past couple years: an undying trust and a sense of comfort that lasted even in the gravest of situations. But now there was a befuddling yearning that settled over everything she felt for Kakashi.

Generally they didn't see each other on their time off-duty unless it was to groom the dogs or escape from her harpy friends, and that had always suited Sakura fine until now. Now, she craved his presence daily and nightly, but not just in her bed. She wanted Kakashi at her side as she walked to the Hokage Tower, across the table making fun of her while she struggled to eat with her left hand, giving her that shut-eyed smile and words of encouragement that were always sincere.

But Sakura didn't love him. Of that she was certain. This mess was all because he had made her feel wanted while keeping up his act, and her stupid hormones couldn't distinguish fact from fiction. The primordial part of her told her that Kakashi had fulfilled her emotionally and sexually, and therefore he would be a suitable mate for her. But the neanderthal Sakura had yet to catch up to the twenty-first century Sakura, who knew that Kakashi didn't actually harbor romantic feelings for her and that even if he did, she was undeserving of them. And an actual relationship between them would get them ostracized.

It was good that they had to stay apart for a whole month. It would give her time to fix her silly emotions and relabel Kakashi strictly as "partner, friend" only.

"Sakura, are you even listening? Was he a good kisser?" Ino was sounding annoyed.

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, he was pretty good."

"And what does his face look like? What was it like when you saw it for the first time? They say that a waitress at the tea shop caught a glance and fainted," Tenten said.

"I'd already seen his face tons of times before this mission, so that wasn't anything new," Sakura said nonchalantly.

At this all three girls gaped at her. "You've been holding out on us!" they all accused in unison.

The pink-haired kunoichi rolled her eyes. She had had just about all she could tolerate of this interrogation. "He had to show it to me because he was injured. And since I'd already seen it the once he figured there was no more need to hide it. We're together so much on missions that I'm sure it was a pain for him as well.  _No_ , I won't tell you what he looks like. It'd be breaking his trust."

She rose to her feet and headed to the bathroom despite the outcries from the other girls.

"I'm taking a shower and going to bed," she announced plainly, "and I'm not answering any more of your questions."

Tenten and Hinata both looked disappointed, but Ino glared at her friend.

"Forehead, we're trying to do you a favor by letting you get this all off your chest," she informed her, "and you're not being very helpful."

The urge to roll her eyes was so strong Sakura nearly fainted. "There's nothing to get off my chest, but thanks for the concern."

And then she locked the door to the bathroom firmly behind her and forced herself to think about her one-handed jutsu and the fruits of her training with Naruto today. Unbidden, her mind kept jumping to one silver-haired nin. What was he doing since their return to Konoha? Had he actually turned in a proper report or another excerpt from  _Icha Icha_?

Sakura shook her head vehemently, splattering shampoo suds all over the walls of the shower room. She wouldn't be able to get over him unless she stopped thinking about him.

Her mind decided, she rinsed out her hair and headed to her room, ignoring Ino, Tenten, and Hinata's invitation to watch some stupid rom-com with them. Instead, Sakura changed into her favorite black dress, the strapless one that hugged her every curve while making her breasts look at least a cup-size larger than they actually were. It was hard to fix her hair with just one hand, so she parted it at the side but left it down. Her long locks framed her face nicely, and even without makeup she looked more feminine than usual.

Heels in hand, she slid open the window and dropped out onto the grass and freedom.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Kakashi was undergoing a similar form of information extraction across town. Genma, Raido, Gai, and Tenzou had dragged him out of his home and to the bar under the guise of buying him a round for a mission well-done. Kakashi had acquiesced because he was a damn good ninja, but even he couldn't defeat all four of them at once.

At first he had hoped that a few celebratory drinks was all it would be, but that hope was dashed when only a few moments after the toast Genma popped the question.

"So how was it?"

"Cold, windy," Kakashi said without missing a beat, boredly taking a drink of his beer through the mask.

"I'm not talking about the weather, smartass," Genma glared. "I mean...how was it with Sakura? You guys actually hooked up, didn't you?"

And here it was. It had taken them less than two minutes to get to the point.

Kakashi just nodded.

Gai asked, "Wasn't it weird? She was your student."

The Copy Nin shrugged. "She was only my student for two years, and that was a decade ago. So no, not really."

"And...was she...y'know…" Raido trailed off and cast around warily for any signs of pink hair before continuing, "...as good as they say?"

None of them had ever slept with her, on account of the one time Genma had mentioned his desire in passing to Kakashi the room had seemed to grow ten degrees colder. He hadn't said anything, but they understood that his teammate was off-limit to his friends.

"Depends on what everyone says."

The men all sagged a little. They had known going in that Hatake Kakashi was a tough nut to crack, but it was still disheartening to realize that he was still his usual difficult self.

"Well, they  _say_  that she's got the best mouth in the Five Nations," Raido supplied.

And they were right, Kakashi thought smugly. He gave a nod to the bartender for another drink and said ponderously, "It's hard to know whether they're right or wrong when I haven't tried every mouth in the Five Nations."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Kakashi!" growled Genma. "At least tell us whether it was good or not."

"Mm," he nodded.

"'Mm,' what? 'Mm,' it was good? Or 'mm,' it wasn't?" Tenzou asked.

It had been the best sex of his life, if he were perfectly honest. But of course he couldn't go around telling people that, especially when there were two ANBU nin in the corner eavesdropping as per their mission to tail him for a month.

"It was good," he finally answered. "She was—" at times an insatiable tempest and other times a sweet spring breeze, "—polite."

"Polite?" Gai repeated, brow furrowed.

"We only had sex to maintain a realistic cover story as lovers, but she was always considerate."

"Considerate how?"

Kakashi had no intention of divulging any more. Sakura would reduce him to a splatter on the pavement if he did. Besides, whether she was aware of it or not it hadn't all been just mindless fucking. She had truly given herself to him on more than one occasion in the past couple months, and he intended to guard her honor and trust like the treasures they were.

"If you're so curious, why don't you ask the woman in question?" the Copy Nin asked, pointing over to the opposite end of the small bar where Sakura sat beside Kiba, sipping at some fruity concoction and smiling at his jokes. She seemed unaware of Kakashi's presence, and he took the moment to take in her every inch like an imprisoned man would bathe in sunlight upon escape.

She looked as lovely as ever, with her hair down and no makeup on. Kakashi preferred her when she was herself, and that black dress had long been one of his favorites. Her right arm was still black, but the color seemed to have lightened a shade since they'd last seen each other.

Seeing her smile and laugh made his heart simultaneously expand and compress. How he longed to hear her voice and feel her legs wrapped around him. He wanted it so much it was painful. There was a glint of desire in her mesmerizing green gaze, and Kakashi burned to know that for the first time in several months that look was being given to someone other than him.

When Kiba shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it over Sakura's shoulders, a cold and malignant jealousy flared up within him. And when she leaned into his touch and allowed him to lead her out of the bar with his hand on her ass as if he owned it, Kakashi's grip on his glass became so firm he thought he could see a hairline crack form.

His friends were saying something to him but he was no longer listening. So it had only taken three days for Sakura to move on. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little surprised. It had been his hope that she would long for him this entire month and come to the realization that she had feelings for him. Perhaps he had judged her wrong. Maybe the sweet nothings she had said in the throes of passion and as she was drifting off in his arms had been just that: nothing.

No. Kakashi knew that the kunoichi harbored some sort of deeper affection for him. Inconsistent and confusing as she was, every last bit of his analytic musings pointed towards the fact that Haruno Sakura, though in denial and unaware, had developed feelings beyond friendship for him.

What was most likely was that she was beginning to come to this realization, panicked, and was going home with Kiba in an attempt to forget about her partner.

But Kakashi just grinned beneath his mask. He knew for a fact that he had fucked her good enough that it would take nothing short of a god to please her now. She would wake up in the morning wanting him even more than she had before.

"Ugh, you're the worst person to try to hold a conversation with," Raido muttered.

"Seriously, it's like trying to get answers out of mud."

Kakashi took another drink of beer and said contrarily, "You can get plenty of answers out of mud if you look carefully enough."

His friends all rolled their eyes and drank deeply. Most people needed to be heavily intoxicated to put up with Hatake Kakashi for more than a couple hours.

"But seriously, it was a dick move not to tell us before you left," Genma complained. "Do you have any idea what we thought when you guys left on that mission? We saw you two flirting with each other here and it looked real in every way. And then the next morning the Yamanaka girl was telling the whole village about how Sakura had been moaning your name all night. What with the way you guys are attached at the hip, everyone thought it was true."

"Sakura spends more time with Tsunade than she does with me," Kakashi countered.

"Yeah, when she's back in the village. But you two are gone for easily two thirds of a month on missions," noted Tenzou. "And when you're back you usually end up seeing each other one way or another."

"I didn't know you took such special interest in who I hang out with in my spare time."

"We don't," Gai said, and he looked troubled. "It just doesn't make sense why you two are so close."

Inwardly Kakashi bristled a bit and gave his old rival an prompting look.

"Well, it's just that she's  _her_  and you're... _you,_ " Gai said lamely, and the other men nodded in agreement. "She's brimming with the Power of Youth and you've been a black hole since birth."

"Some would argue that means we balance each other out," Kakashi offered.

Genma ordered another drink. "Nah, you're just bringing the girl down."

Ouch. Kakashi finished his beer and made an excuse about needing to get back home to dust his potted plant, silently cursing the two ANBU who were stealthily hidden several yards behind him. He had the most peculiar urge to head over to the Inuzuka compound and see for himself whether Sakura was able to forget about him.

* * *

Sakura couldn't forget him.

She had thought that a night with Kiba, her favorite nocturnal sparring partner, would help her stupid hormones to remember that there were other men who were just as pleasing and more available than Hatake Kakashi.

Until tonight, Kiba had never let her down. They had a very easy friends with benefits type of relationship where one would occasionally seek out the other for a night of fun and in the morning part ways with a smile. They were similar in that neither of them were looking for any sort of strings, and neither of them were the type to blabber about who they were screwing.

Also, he was just as wild and passionate in bed as any one woman could stand.

But Sakura was dismally disappointed when she found herself comparing him with the Copy Nin numerous times throughout the night, and never in a positive light. Kiba could make her cum, but Kakashi could take her beyond the moon and stars.

It wasn't until the end when Kiba gave her a grinning kiss and lay down beside her that she realized just how deeply in shit she was. As the Inuzuka yawned and closed his eyes, Sakura felt the wriggling need to be held.

Haruno Sakura didn't need snuggles. She didn't like cuddling. And yet as she forced down the desire and tried to fall asleep, all she could think about was how warm and safe she had felt in Kakashi's arms all those nights.

No. No, no  _no._  She  _had_  to stop thinking of him as if they were lovers. They were just friends with benefits before this stupid mission, and that was what they would return to. Sakura would forge a new reality if it had to be done. She just had to work harder to forget about him.

She pressed her nude, sweat-soaked body against Kiba's side, looping a leg over his so she could grind her still moist womanhood to him.

Kiba gave her a fanged smirk and put an arm around her, guiding her to rub harder against him. "You're raring to go tonight. Did Kakashi not keep your satisfied the past couple months?"

On the contrary, he had kept her  _too_  satisfied. Sakura left a hungry, open-mouthed kiss on his neck. "Maybe I just missed my favorite mongrel."

He gave an amused growl and grabbed her by the waist to pull her on top of him where he gave her a ravenous kiss, nipping her tongue occasionally.

"And I missed my favorite flower," he breathed against her lips teasingly, "even if she comes back smelling like someone else."

Sakura pulled away from him in surprise. "You can still smell Kakashi on me? It's been four days since we last saw each other!"

"Yeah, but his scent is pretty ingrained. You guys must have been really dedicated to that cover story."

An uneasy feeling awoke within her. Perhaps coming to Kiba had been a mistake.

He gave her an easy smirk even as his eyes glinted perceptively. "Forget about it. By the morning it'll be me you smell of."

A relieved smile growing on her lips, Sakura relaxed in his hold.

The following morning she woke up around ten feeling slightly sore and groggy, but in a rewarding sense. Kiba lay sprawled out on his bed, snoring with abandon in an endearing way. She slinked out of bed and used a simple transportation jutsu to appear back in her room, circumventing the walk of shame. Being a ninja did have its benefits.

That had been exactly what she needed. She had a new spring in her step as she freshened up and prepared to head to the training grounds to spar with Naruto. When she stepped out of the bath with a towel wrapped around her she was a bit surprised to see Ino sitting on the couch staring at the blank screen of the TV. She must have just returned from ANBU headquarters.

"Hey," she said slowly to the unusually checked-out blonde. "Have a long morning?"

Ino started at the sound of her roommate's voice, and when she turned to look at her there was a worried look in her eyes.

"Do you have a couple minutes?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course. Just let me throw something on," Sakura said, and hurried to change into a t-shirt and sweats and then took a seat on the sofa beside her friend. "What's going on?"

She watched as Ino picked up a throw pillow and wrapped her arms around it, bringing her knees up to her chest. It looked like she was trying to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible.

"What do you think it feels like to fall in love?" she whispered.

"Oh my God,  _that's_ what this is about?" The pink-haired kunoichi couldn't help but give a relieved smile. "I was worried someone had died or something. Don't do that to me."

"I'm serious, Forehead."

"Don't you think you'd be better off talking to Hinata about this? Out of all of us, she's the only one to have found it."

"No, she wouldn't get it," Ino dismissed. "She's been head over heels for that dork since Academy. It's different."

Sakura frowned, not entirely sure what her friend was looking for. "Well, you and I both remember what it was like to like Sasuke—"

"That was just a girl's crush for me. I just played it up with you because I was petty. I'm talking about the  _real_  kind. The I-think-I've-found-my-soulmate kind."

Sakura's frown only deepened. "How would I know?"

"What do you  _think_  it feels like?"

"I…" She had been about to blow her off, but her friend was unmistakably and deeply troubled by this topic, and she owed it to her to give her a proper answer. Sakura gave it due thought before saying slowly, "I mean, I'm guessing that it's a little different for everyone. But...I suppose it's like...they become the sun your world revolves around. Just being around them makes you happy, and somehow every little thing you do takes you back to them. You can't imagine a life without them, just like you can't imagine a life of utter darkness."

Ino dipped her chin onto the pillow she clutched, eyes sliding shut in a pained look. "Ah."

"Did you fall for someone? Why do you look like your hamster's died?"

"Of course you wouldn't get it either," Ino groaned. "You and all your 'too cool for feelings' bullshit."

Sakura wrinkled her nose in offense. "Okay, I have plenty of feelings, thank you. I love loads of people, just not in the romantic sense. Who is it? Why does it have you so down? Shouldn't you be putting the moves on him?" She paused and tacked on, "Or her?"

Ino shot her a filthy look and growled, " _Him._  And that's all I'm telling you so don't press me for more. I guess I'm just scared."

It was disappointing that she wouldn't reveal who this mystery soulmate was, but there would be time to figure it out later. For now, Sakura asked, "Scared of what? Him? Yourself? What others will think?"

"He's a really nice guy," she said emphatically. "I mean, he's always doing little things for everyone around him, and I've never seen or heard of him doing anything cruel. And I  _think_  that if we dated, he would be a good boyfriend. But…"

"...You think he'll turn into someone else after he gets what he wants," Sakura finished heavily.

"Yeah."

Ino loved to talk about sex as if she had finished the whole Kama Sutra twice over, but Sakura knew for a fact that her friend was a virgin thanks to a drunken round of Truth or Dare in which she had spilled her guts to Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata. Out of the four of them, she was the only one to have her v-card intact. Even bashful Hinata had overcome her crippling shyness to sheathe Naruto's meat dagger. (God, Sakura could wretch.) Whenever the girls got together Ino was always quick to steer the topic away from herself and toward whatever juicy gossip she could think of, because if she failed to do so Tenten would pester her about whether she had done the deed yet or not.

Ino always claimed that she was too busy with interrogation to date, but it was a time of peace and Sakura knew otherwise. She also knew that despite her claims of wanting to find out what it was all about, Ino was scared. Scared of being used for her beauty and forgotten when the sweat dried, scared of being asked to go on the seduction missions that left many a kunoichi with the kind of scars no healing jutsu could smoothe away. With her family's skill set and her looks, she was the natural top candidate for that sort of unsavory line of business, which was why she had attempted to throw herself into interrogation as deeply and as quickly as possible. The sooner she had an established career elsewhere, the safer she would be when she became physically eligible for those missions.

"Well, if you told me who it was I could give you my opinion on whether I thought he'd turn out to be an ass, but since you've made it clear that you're keeping it a secret, all I can tell you is to go with your gut. You're in interrogation—it's your job to read people."

"Yeah, but you're a good judge of character, and look what happened to you." Upon seeing the way Sakura jumped as if she had been slapped across the face, Ino said quickly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. Just...you loved Sasuke for years only to decide that you were better as friends. I thought you guys were meant to be—everyone did."

Sakura relaxed her clenched fists on her lap, keeping her tone even. "What happened between Sasuke and me was that we had both unknowingly built up images of the other all the years we were apart, and when we finally met we realized that the real version wasn't as perfect as the one in our minds. Unless you're planning on being separated from your mystery guy for years, I think you'll be fine."

"Yeah?" There was a bit of hope shining her big blue eyes that had been missing before.

"Yeah," Sakura smiled. "So how are you feeling now? A little better? Gonna go find him and profess your love immediately?"

"Shut up, Forehead," Ino snapped without any bite.

"Maybe just run up and grab him and kiss him?"

The blonde thwacked her friend in the chest with the throw pillow, and laughing the two of them tussled on the couch for a few moments until they were both grinning.

"Well," Sakura huffed as she smoothed her hair, "I was supposed to meet Naruto two hours ago for training. He probably thinks I've forgotten."

"Looks like Kakashi-sensei's habits are rubbing off on you," Ino smirked.

The pink-haired kunoichi waved goodbye to her friend and headed to the training grounds where Naruto was dozing off against a tree waiting for her. The two of them spent the entire day and part of the evening sparring, and Sakura was able to execute one-handed jutsu with a ten percent success rate. At this rate, she would have it perfected within the one month.

So focused on her training with Naruto was she that the silver-haired shinobi hadn't crossed her mind once the entire day until it came time for bed. Properly exhausted, she sank into her soft, clean blankets as if they were clouds and gave a long, satisfied sigh.

She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take her, but instead of slumber's soothing balm a soft discomfort took root inside her. It was an itch she couldn't scratch, a a ticklish hair she couldn't find.

But she knew who could remedy it. He was probably across town right now with his nose deep in a smutty book and not thinking of her at all.

Sakura gave a soft growl and mentally shook herself. It hadn't even been a week since their mission had ended. She just needed more time. That was all. By the end of this month, she would come back to her senses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for stopping in for another chapter. I love each and every one of you for taking the time to read, favorite, follow, and/or review. Each notification makes my day.
> 
> I know a lot of readers are saddened that Kakashi and Sakura have to stay apart from each other. Trust me, I want them to be together too. I need to summon every ounce of my willpower when I write this so I don't just have them fall in love straight away. It's so hard! haha
> 
> This chapter's aim was to further flesh out Sakura's friendships and her feelings toward Kakashi. What did you guys think of her and Kiba? I kinda dig it. Do you think that Sakura will manage to get over Kakashi by the end of their month of separation? What would you like to see happen when she and Kakashi see each other next?
> 
> Regarding updates: work is sucking my will to live. I've had 12+ hour days pretty much every weekday, and then I sleep all weekend. Which means that my writing is suffering. I'm puttering along on Ch 23 as we speak, but I may have to wait longer to post the next update. The reason for this is that I'm undoubtedly going to come up with new stuff to build up this new arc as I write it, and then I'll have to go back and pepper little references to the new ideas in previous chapters. This way, I can trick you guys into thinking I know what I'm doing hahaha. But don't worry. I'm not going to leave you hanging for 5 years or anything stupid. What kind of heartless author would do that? XD Much love to you all.


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